Mind of the Heart 2(alt): Lost
by Itachi-21
Summary: *Sequel to the Mind of the Heart series* About a year after the Akatsuki left, the group of eight girls are sent into the Ninja World. Unfortunately, something went wrong and now, they remember nothing about their past with the Akatsuki. They must regain their memories with help from the Akatsuki. Will they recover, or will things just get worse?
1. Where is This?

_**I was bored, so I decided to write the first chapter of this story and see how it goes. Reviews mean a lot to me so please take the time and tell me your thoughts. If you haven't read Mind of the Heart: Jealousy before starting this story, you will experience some confusion with characters, so I suggest you read that first.**_

~Emma's POV~

"Hey, wake up!" A faraway voice registered in my semiconscious mind.

I blinked open my eyes to see a young man looking down at me with concern.

"Are you all right, miss?" he asked, seeing that I was awake.

"Where am I?" The question popped out of my mouth before I could even think.

"You're in Kirigakure, miss. I found you knocked out on the outskirts of the village."

_Kirigakure? Knocked out?_ I frowned before remembering what happened.

* * *

_~Flashback~_

"_Good evening, my dears," an old woman called to us from the bench she was sitting on._

"_Good evening, ma'am," Sendy replied._

"_Would you like a little fortune-telling? I have psychic powers, and my predictions are never wrong. Maybe just for fun?" She smiled kindly at us._

"_I don't believe in fortune-telling," Lindsay said, pausing in her recitation of math formulas._

"_It's just for fun," Olivia said, "Why don't we just go for it?"_

"_Yeah, yeah, whatever. Let's just get it over with," Mimi grumbled. She was having a bad day because her twin brother, Michael, had spilled maple syrup all over her shirt this morning. Tia gave Mimi a nudge, telling her to cheer up._

"_All right, gather around in a circle and hold out your hands with the palm facing up," the old woman instructed._

_All eight of us (me, Lindsay, Olivia, Sendy, Mimi, Tia, Esder, and Jess) obeyed. The old woman took our hands and peered at them carefully, tracing some of the lines on our hands. After about five minutes, she smiled and said, "You all have the same destiny."_

"_What?" Jess said, mystified. I found it hard to believe the woman as well. How could all eight of us share the same destiny?_

_The old woman took a black crystal ball out of her pocket. "You'll see what I mean," she said before everything went black._

* * *

I bit my lip, realizing that if I ended up in this strange world, my seven friends probably did too as they were with me when we met the old lady. This was bad. I had no idea where I was, no idea where they were, and the only person nearby was the young man who was now watching me cautiously. Wait, this person could HELP me!

"Umm…" I started, unsure of how to ask. Luckily, he seemed to guess my intentions.

"Do you need help?"

"That would be great, thank you," I said, getting up.

"No problem. My name is Chōjūrō. What's yours?" he started a conversation as we started walking.

"Emma."

"That's a strange name. Where are you from?" I started panicking at this last question.

"I…uh…I don't know," I answered truthfully and a little shakily. Chōjūrō looks at me curiously.

"Do you have amnesia?"

"Umm…maybe?"

"I see," he muttered quietly.

I swallowed and asked, "Am I the only one you've found?"

He frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I'm just worried about my friends."

"I don't know where your friends are. Your chakra signature was the only one I sensed. What are your abilities as a ninja?"

"I'm a ninja?"

"You should be if you have chakra."

"What's chakra?" I barely registered the fact that we just walked through a towering gate.

"You don't know what chakra is?" Chōjūrō stopped in his tracks, "Are you even from this world?"

_Busted._

"I don't think so…" I said meekly, cringing away from him a little.

He raised an eyebrow, and for a second, I wondered if he was going to kill me or something. But all he said was, "You should come explain things to our Mizukage."

Oh, God. Please let me survive this! I'm too awesome to die!

* * *

~Lindsay's POV~

I walked through the desert, glancing around every few moments to see if I could find help. It was very hot, and I couldn't help worrying about the others. Where the hell were they? I didn't think they were anywhere near here since I've been wandering alone for quite some time now. Just a couple more hours and I would collapse on the sand.

Suddenly, I saw a wall in the distance. Hoping with all my heart that it wasn't a mirage, I started walking in that direction as fast as I could. The wall steadily grew larger. I blinked hard; it wasn't disappearing. It must be real!

As I neared the wall, I could see people standing on it. It looked as though they were guards. My prediction was proven correct when a couple of them jumped down to land in front of me.

"Who are you, and what is your business in Sunagakure?" A woman with blond hair and a large fan asked.

I gaped a little at her fan before remembering that she asked me a question. "I'm lost. Could you tell me where I am?"

"You are at the borderline of Sunagakure. Now what is a shinobi like you doing out here alone?" The other one, a guy in a black suit, asked.

"Shinobi?" What the heck was a shinobi?

"You know, ninjas," the woman said, gesturing with her hands.

"What ninjas?"

"How could you not know what a ninja is?" the guy asked.

"Calm down, Kankuro," the woman soothed, "Maybe she's confused." She turned back to me, "Ninjas are people who have chakra and go around helping others through missions. Any of this sounds familiar?"

I shook my head. "I've never heard of them before."

"Amnesia?" Kankuro suggested, "Everybody in this world knows what ninjas are."

"I don't even know if I'm from this world," I blurted out.

Apparently, that was the wrong thing to say because Kankuro and the woman gave me weird looks. After a while, the woman said, "Perhaps you should see the Kazekage. He may be able to help you."

"Kazekage?"

"The leader of our village." She took my hand and led me past the wall into the village of Sunagakure. "My name is Temari, by the way," she added.

"Lindsay."

* * *

~Olivia's POV~

I stumbled over a tree root for the _fifth_ time. Growling, I pushed myself back up and continued on my way. I didn't know where the hell I was going. In two words: I'm lost. With no idea where the others were either, I was ready to bash together two of the many rocks that littered the ground. But I didn't 'cause I knew that would not help at all.

A high-pitched shriek tore through the air. My head whipped around so fast my neck cricked. I started heading in the direction the scream came from. Maybe it was one of the others!

I skidded to a halt at the edge of a clearing. My assumption was so wrong. Instead of a friend, I saw a young girl cornered by a black bear. She must have accidentally angered the bear since the animal was growling fiercely and advancing slowly on the defenseless child.

Instinctively, I snatched up a pebble and threw it at the bear, hitting it right on the side of the head.

Big mistake.

The bear halted and turned to glare at me. Growling, it changed its prey and started stalking in my direction. That's when I knew things were going to be really bad.

"Shit," I squeaked before turning and plunging into the undergrowth, the bear on my heels.

My breath came in painful gasps as I fled from the four-legged terror. I was at a serious disadvantage here. The bear had probably been living in this forest for years and knew the layout well while I just ended up in this forest thanks to an old lady and had no freaking clue where the hell everything is.

"Gotta…climb a tree," I panted, slowing slightly to observe the branches, "Oh, wait! Bears can climb! Crap!" I sped up my pace again.

Just when I thought I had no escape, something flew past my face and the bear let out a roar. Losing my focus, I tripped over another tree root and fell flat on my face. I squeezed my eyes shut and waited for the pain, but it didn't come. Instead, the bear continued to roar and from the noises it made, it sounded like it was stumbling around blindly.

I peeked at the creature and was surprised to see that there was a knife-like weapon sticking out of each of its eyes and several more embedded in its body. It was bellowing and twisting in pain.

"Are you all right?" I jumped as a voice came from behind me. I whipped around to see a man standing behind me. He wore a red, single-sleeved shirt with a gray vest over it and what looked like mesh wrapped around his ankles.

"Uh, yeah. I'm fine," I said quickly, standing up and brushing myself off, "Thank you for saving me."

He nodded. "No problem. My name is Kitsuchi. What's yours?"

"Olivia."

"Never heard of a name like that before. Are you from Iwagakure?"

"Iwagakure?"

"The Village Hidden in the Stone?"

"These stones have villages in them?" I stared at a nearby boulder dubiously.

"No!" Kitsuchi exclaimed, flapping his arms, "How could you not know Iwagakure? It's one of the five great nations of the shinobi world!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Back up. This is the SHINOBI world?" I couldn't believe my ears.

"Yeah…?"

"…what's a shinobi?" He was starting to look bewildered and aggravated, but I can't help it if I think I'm in the wrong world! Unfortunately, he seemed to be thinking the same thing.

"Are you even from this world?"

"Uh…no?"

_**Happy Birthday to Olivia! Here's your present from me!**_

_**So, readers. I only posted this chapter to see how it would go, kinda get the feel of this story, all that stuff. Your reviews would be a great help *hint, hint***_

_**Thanks for reading!**_


	2. Discovery

_**I'm sorry. I just had to continue this story even though I didn't finish the Mind of the Heart series. This is probably a bad idea, right?**_

~Mimi's POV~

"What the fuck, old man?" I shouted at the Raikage sitting behind his desk. One of his eyes twitched in anger. "Who do you think you are, telling me that I should stay in this dump of a village? I told you I want to know what's going on with my friends!"

"And I told you, you are the only one in this village who is from another world! Meaning I haven't seen your friends!" the Raikage yelled right back. Darui, the Kumogakure shinobi that brought me here, sighed and rubbed his head.

"Then where in this fucking world are they? Are there other villages?" I spat, unwilling to back down.

"In fact, there are a total of five great nations and many smaller nations," the Raikage said, suddenly calm. God, what was with his mood swings?

"Then how the fuck am I supposed to make sure they're ok?" I snapped. Ok, most of my anger came from worrying, but the Raikage pissed me off a little too.

"There's going to be a Five Kage summit meeting in about a month," Darui stated, "Raikage-sama, perhaps we should take her with us to the meeting?"

Before the Raikage could reply, I said, "All right. Done. I'm going with you to the meeting."

"I thought that was for Raikage-sama to decide," another shinobi called Omoi muttered, sucking on his lollipop. Cheap bastard had refused to give me one when I asked. Damn him.

"She's coming," Raikage said flatly, "Meanwhile, she should get some training so she will be able to defend herself. Darui!"

"Understood," Darui sighed. _Why me? This is going to be such a drag…_

"And also…"the Raikage added, "…while you are in Kumo, your name will not be Mimi. Instead, you will be known as Kaminari." (A/N: Kaminari means thunder)

"Why?" I asked, furious that he would dare to change my name without my consent.

"So you can blend in better."

That sounded reasonable to me. "Fine," I replied grudgingly. My name was now Kaminari.

* * *

~Sendy's POV~

"Thank you very much, Hokage-sama." I bowed politely at Tsunade.

"You're welcome. If you need anything else, don't hesitate to ask me or Shizune." The blonde gestured to the black-haired woman standing next to her. Shizune gave me a kind smile and said, "Welcome to Konoha."

"Now, I suppose you'll need someone to show you around," Tsunade got up and stretched her arms.

I blinked. "That would be very helpful, Hokage-sama."

"I know the perfect people, but it will depend on if they are back from their mission…" Tsunade's voice trailed off as she glanced at Shizune.

"According to the guards, they came in just a couple moments ago. They should be here soon," Shizune answered.

With perfect timing, the door to the Hokage's room flew open and in walked three ninjas. There were two guys. One had blonde hair and blue eyes while the other had silver hair and wore a masked that covered the lower half of his face. The third was a girl with pink hair and pretty green eyes.

"Hey, Granny Tsunade! We're back!" the blonde shouted, waving a hand happily.

"I can see that, Naruto." Tsunade smiled, "Your timing couldn't have been better. I have another mission for Team Seven."

"Another mission already?" the silver-haired man asked, a bit of surprise in his voice.

"Come on, Kakashi-sensei! You don't want to go on another mission because then you won't have time to read your perverted books!" Naruto complained, punching the Kakashi on the arm.

"Naruto! You're perverted, too, so you shouldn't be talking!" the pink-haired girl shouted, dealing a blow to Naruto's head.

"Oww, Sakura-chaaan!" Naruto whined, rubbing the place where he was hit.

"Enough!" Tsunade barked, regaining the attention of the three ninjas, "Your new mission is very simple: show Sendy around the village and train her in shinobi skills."

"Who's Sendy?" Naruto looked wildly around the room and spotted me for the first time, "Hello! You're Sendy?"

"Yeah," I answered, a little shy now that all the attention was focused on me.

Naruto smiled. "I'm Uzumaki Naruto, and I'm going to become the next Hokage! You can count on me!"

Suddenly, he paused and said, "Can I call you Kemuri (A/N: Kemuri means smoke) instead?"

I blinked, startled by the sudden question. "Why?"

He scratched his head, looking a little embarrassed. "Well, uh…Sendy is a hard name to pronounce…you see, it's not a common name in this world…"

"Sendy is not from this world," Tsunade interrupted Naruto's rant, "She came from another world and will be staying in Konoha until she finds a way back."

"You're not from this world?" Sakura gasped, staring at me with wide eyes.

"Uh…no." I cringed internally.

"Well, we'll just have to do our best to make sure you feel welcome," Kakashi spoke to me for the first time. I glanced at him and his eyes crinkled up in a friendly smile. I smiled back.

"Oh, and could you hold these for me for a bit?" Kakashi suddenly reached into his pocket and took out two sheets of blank paper. Mystified, I reached out and grasped one in each hand.

"What're these for, Kakashi-sensei?"

"They are to check your chakra nature. There are five elements that a ninja could potentially use: fire, water, wind, lightning, and earth. This paper absorbs a person's chakra and will react differently based on which nature the chakra is," Kakashi explained.

I turned back to look at the papers. The one in my left hand slowly became wet and folded over. I watched with interest…until the one in my right hand burst into flames, making me shriek in terror and toss it across the room.

Kakashi chuckled. "Looks like you have two chakra natures: fire and water."

"Cool," I said, sucking on my slightly burned fingers. Sakura came over and took my hand in hers. A green light emanated from her hand, and my eyes widen as the burns slowly faded away.

"That was medical ninjutsu," she explained, releasing my hand, "It helps wounds heal faster."

"Wow. Thanks a lot, Sakura!"

"No problem, uh…Kemuri?" she said a little hesitantly.

"It's ok." I smiled at them. "You can call me Kemuri instead of Sendy if it suits you better."

Naruto's face brightened. "Kemuri-chan!" he whooped, punching his fist into the air.

* * *

~Third Person POV~

"What should we do, Nikushimi?" a red-haired woman moaned, "Something went wrong with the transportation, and our power isn't enough to fix it."

"What do you expect me to do, Koi?" a black-haired man twitched irritably at his sister's worrying.

"Should we tell them? They would want to know…but they would be hurt if they found out that the eight girls do not remember them." Koi gazed at her brother with golden eyes.

"They'll probably find out sooner or later. Then, they'll be angry with us for not telling them," Nikushimi growled, "And they could provide assistance in the recovery of the girls' memories."

Koi sighed. "You're right. So…who's gonna tell them?"

"You are."

"Why me?"

"Cuz I said so."

"Then you come with me."

"Why?"

"Cuz they might get mad and try to kill me."

"You're a Goddess. You can't die."

"Still."

"What? Are you five years old?"

"If I were, then so would you, since we were created on the same day."

Nikushimi hissed in exasperation. "Fine." He formed a sign with his hand and teleported him to the hideout. Koi appeared next to him.

A man with spiky orange hair blinked, surprised to see them. "Koi. Nikushimi. What are you two doing here?"

"Pein," Koi returned the greeting politely while Nikushimi merely nodded, "It's been a long time. A year, right?"

The Akatsuki leader nodded. "Is there something you need to tell us?"

"Are the others here?" Nikushimi asked, glancing around Pein's office. A shadow moved from next to the doorway and a blue-haired kunoichi stepped into the light.

"Konan!" Koi spread her arms in welcome and walked forward to give the woman a hug. Konan returned the hug somewhat stiffly before saying, "Koi. Nikushimi. It's good to see you again."

The God of Hatred and the Goddess of Love glanced at each other. Both knew Konan did not actually mean those words. The two of them weren't exactly on best terms with the Akatsuki, having sent the criminal organization back to the Ninja world against their will.

"So what brings you here?" Pein asked.

"Call the others," Nikushimi ordered, "This concerns the entire Akatsuki."

Pein raised an eyebrow before signaling Konan to get the other members. The origami expert immediately turned into a flock of origami birds and left the room.

A couple minutes later, the Akatsuki started filing into Pein's office. Some of them gave Koi and Nikushimi hostile looks while others barely acknowledged them. Nikushimi scowled before sending Koi a telepathic message. _They sulk like children._

_They have a reason to be furious. We tore them away from the ones they loved and cared about._ She returned his message.

Nikushimi almost snorted out loud. _They should at least show more respect for us._

_And I suppose you are the most respectful person around. _She shot back.

_Excuse me?_

Before Koi could reply, Pein cleared his throat. "Well?"

Koi wasted no time. "They're here."

"Who's here?"

Koi widened her eyes. "I should not have to specify that."

Suddenly, everyone in Akatsuki knew exactly what she was talking about.

"Emma?" Deidara whispered, hoping that Koi wasn't playing a trick on them.

Sasori blinked, wondering if he installed his puppet head properly this morning. Itachi's eyes had gone wider than anyone had ever seen.

"No fucking way." Hidan wanted to believe Koi but was almost afraid to. Kakuzu opened and closed his mouth several times without saying anything.

Tobi had burst into tears. "Oh, my gosh. Tobi has…Tobi has longed for this day," he sobbed.

Kisame had dropped Samehada in shock. "Esder…is here?" he asked hoarsely. The person whom he had started to consider his sister was here?

Zetsu was arguing with himself over the news. "You think Jess is really here? **It's probably just a joke. **I don't want it to be a joke. **Neither do I.**"

Konan was crying from happiness as Pein stared at Koi, looking as though he was carved from stone.

Of course, Nikushimi had to step in and shatter everyone's happiness. His name did mean hatred after all.

"Sorry to break in, but it's too early to be all excited," he said brusquely. All eyes turned to him and he saw some of their newly found excitement fade a little.

"Your…_sweethearts,_" he spat out the word as if it was poison, "may be in this world, but something went wrong with the transportation."

"What do you mean?" Pein questioned, snapping out of his trance.

Koi, using her much milder tactics, took over. "As we were moving them in between dimensions, something went wrong with the focus of the energy. This malfunction caused a slight problem with their minds."

"Tell us," Pein insisted, leaning forward.

"The malfunction caused some of their memories to be erased." Koi bowed her head, "The eight of them now know nothing about you."

Silence greeted her words. It was a while before Pein spoke again, "So, they do not recall ever meeting us."

"That is correct."

"They do not remember us whatsoever."

"Are you just going to repeat what Koi told you, or are you going to do something about it?" Nikushimi interrupted.

"What the fuck can we do?" Hidan burst out angrily, "These are memories we're talking about. We can't just go – poof – and make them come back!"

"HIDAN!" Koi lost her patience and her red aura surrounded her, "YOU THINK WE WOULD COME HERE JUST TELL YOU THAT THE MEMORIES ARE LOST, AND NOTHING CAN BE DONE ABOUT IT? IF THAT WAS THE CASE, WE WOULD NOT HAVE COME AT ALL!"

Hidan flinched and fell silent. The rest of the Akatsuki all took a couple steps back from the infuriated Koi.

Sasori broke the tense silence this time. "What do we do?" he asked quietly.

"Find them," Nikushimi answered, "Find all eight of them and protect them from harm. Keep them close to you, and over time, they will most likely regain their memories."

"We don't know where they are, hmm," Deidara said desperately.

Koi had calmed down and took pity on the Akatsuki. "We can tell you the location of one and only one of them. Do you want to know?"

"Yes," Pein said without hesitation, "Please, tell us."

Koi smiled slightly, imaging the reactions of the various Akatsuki members. "Right here in Amegakure," she said quietly before she and Nikushimi vanished.

Let's just say that Hidan, Deidara, Tobi, Kisame, and Kakuzu didn't fit so well in the doorway of Pein's office, and for once, Kakuzu didn't mind destroying part of the hideout. The five of them nearly trampled each other to death in their haste to get out of the base and search the village of Ame. Itachi, Sasori, and Zetsu followed more calmly (well, Zetsu just sank through the ground) while Pein and Konan decided to stay in the base.

"I have not felt this happy in a year," Pein told Konan, a small smile appearing on his face.

_***screams into a pillow* Ok, sorry about that. I was really hyped up by the end of this chapter. So anyway, who's the one in Ame? What will happen when the Akatsuki finds her? You'll have to wait for the next chapter to find out XD**_

_**Oh, and also, Mimi and Sendy will be going by their new names for the rest of the story. The other six girls will also get new names cuz the English names just sound too weird in a Japanese story. **_

_**Who knows, reviews might speed up the chapter's release. REVIEW~~~**_


	3. The Search Begins

~Esder's POV~

"How do you like Tsuki?" Manami asked, taking a sip from her drink.

"Tsuki…" I mused, prodding a dumpling on my plate, "It's ok, I guess."

"Ok," Manami happily popped her last dumpling into her mouth, "Your name is now Tsuki. It'll help you blend in better until you find a way back to your world."

"Thanks a lot, Manami."

"No problem, _Tsuki,_" Manami made sure to emphasize my new name, "Want me to show you around?"

"That would be great. Could you teach me ninja skills as well?" I asked, getting up from my seat and grabbing an umbrella Manami bought for me. I was definitely going to thank her somehow.

"I'm not a ninja, Tsuki, sorry," Manami apologized, "You'll have to find someone else if you want to learn how to be a ninja."

I drooped, slightly disappointed, but immediately perked back up again. "Well, can you at least take me to the weapon shop? I wanna take a look at the weapons."

I frowned a little, weighing the katana in my hand. Why does holding this sword feel so natural? It's almost as if I've been wielding swords all my life, but I don't even remember touching a sword. The only thing close was the knife used to cut up food.

What bothered me even more was the light headache that started up when I came into the weapon shop. I don't do well with headaches: they are so hard to ignore. Luckily, most of my headaches fade quickly but not this one. It made me want to jump up and down in frustration while screaming gibberish the way Lindsay sometimes does when she's pissed.

"You done yet?" Manami asked, "We have more to see after this."

"Yeah, sure. Hold on a moment." I gave the katana an experimental twirl. Imagine my surprise when it spun gracefully in my hand.

"You're pretty good with that," a deep voice growled behind me that sounded NOTHING like Manami.

"What the…?" I whirled around and immediately stumbled back. Standing behind me was a tall man with spiky blue hair wearing a black cloak with red cloud patterns.

* * *

~Lindsay's POV~

"Wind jutsu can be very destructive and most of them are wide-range attacks," Temari explained, "However, if mastered, they are very elegant unlike the tearing lightning jutsu or messy earth jutsu."

"I'm going to teach you a simple wind technique so you get the feel of chakra control," she continued, forming hand signs. I watched in awe as she blew in front of her, creating a whirlwind that stirred up the sand in the training area.

"That was Wind Style: Whirlwind Spin," Temari said, "It isn't meant to harm your opponents much. Just blind them so you can deal some stronger blows."

I nodded and formed the hand signs. Inhaling as much air as my lungs could manage, I blew with all my might. To my surprise and pleasure, a whirlwind came up, making the sand particles fly in circles.

"Very impressive," someone behind me said. Temari-sensei and I both turned to see Gaara, the Kazekage watching us with interest.

"Kazekage-sama." I immediately got down on one knee with my head bowed, the way Temari told me to.

Gaara nodded in acknowledgement, telling me to stand. Then, he turned to his sister to ask, "Have you done the Kuchiyose yet?"

Kuchiyose? What was that? "Not yet," Temari answered, "Do you want me to do it now?"

"I am interested in seeing which animal she can summon." Did this mean Kuchiyose was a summoning technique?

"All right, I'll go get the scroll." Temari made to leave but Gaara stopped her.

"I have the scroll right here," he assured, pulling it out from underneath his robes. He tugged it open and spread it out on the ground in front of him.

"Come," he beckoned to me, "Is it alright if we take some of your blood? Your blood acts as a signature on a contract with your animal."

Still slightly confused, I allowed him to make a small cut on my thumb, wincing a little as he did so. Gaara took my thumb and pressed it on an empty space on the scroll. When he pulled it away, a bloody fingerprint remained on the paper.

"Now form the signs of boar, rabbit, rat, and bird in that order and place your palm on the ground," he instructed, "Your summoned animal will appear."

I obeyed, slapping the palm of my hand onto the ground. There was a poof and a cloud of white smoke appeared. After the smoke cleared, a giant hawk stared down at me with intimidating eyes. I couldn't help backing away a couple steps.

"_**It seems like I have a new summoner.**_" My mouth fell open.

"You can talk?"

"_**I find that very insulting, you know.**_" The hawk snapped, lowering its head so it could stare straight into my eyes.

"S-s-sorry," I stuttered, moving away as fast as I could.

The hawk ruffled its feathers and straightened back up. "_**My name is Takuma. What's yours?**_"

"Lindsay," I replied quickly, hoping that I wouldn't anger Takuma any more than necessary.

He watched me with a little amusement. "_**There is no need to be afraid. I will not harm my summoner in any way. That is a rule."**_

"Lindsay," Gaara said calmly, "Get on Takuma's head."

"Get on…his head?" I repeated, scrutinizing the hawk warily.

"You need to experience Takuma's flight pattern, so the two of you can work together in a battle."

"Oh, ok." I focused chakra into my legs and jumped, landing on Takuma's head neatly. He spread his wings and I hurriedly checked to make sure my chakra was going to keep my feet attached to the feathers on his head.

Please, please, please don't let me fall off and become splatter paint on the ground below.

* * *

~Olivia's (Ishi) POV~

"This isn't fair, Kitsuchi!" I shouted, "I have no ninja skills whatsoever!"

"Stop complaining, Ishi!" He called back, "This is why it's called training."

Yes, my name had been changed to Ishi so I don't stand out as much, according to Tsuchikage, Onoki. Right now, Kitsuchi was training me in earth element jutsu and wind element jutsu as well as taijutsu.

I formed the hand seals again, concentrating chakra with all my might into forming the earth golem. Like last time, the earth started to build up into the shape of the earth golem. But then, my concentration snapped and the earth crumbled back into a mound.

"Aaaarrrgh!" I screamed in frustration, clutching my hair.

"Don't get so frustrated," Kitsuchi encouraged from where he sat on the rock, "Chakra control is pretty hard to manage, and you're just a beginner."

Growling under my breath and focusing one hundred times harder, I started forming seals again but Kitsuchi stopped me. "We're taking a break."

"Why?"

"Overuse of chakra can be dangerous," he explained, "You don't want to go there, trust me."

"Okay," I grudgingly gave in.

"We'll work on taijutsu now."

* * *

~Emma's (Kozui) POV~

"Kozui, Kozui, Kozui…" I sang as I skipped around my apartment room, blowing little water bubbles.

Yup, Kozui is my new ninja name, and yes, I am learning water jutsu now. Chojuro was kind enough to volunteer to be my teacher when Mizukage-sama asked. I get to learn to be NINJA! Once I've learned enough, I think I'll ask Mizukage-sama for permission to look for my friends.

I did make another new friend today though. My summoning animal was a horse made of water! Isn't that cool? Her name is Umiko. We get along really well and we allow each other to add –chan to the end of our names. Umiko-chan!

* * *

~Tsuki's POV~ (If you don't remember who Tsuki is, go back to the first POV in this chapter)

"What the fuck!" I snapped angrily, "You drag me and Manami here just to tell me that you are stalkers? And why did you bring Manami into this in the first place?"

Pein sighed. "We are not stalkers, but we know about you because we were in your world just a year ago. As for Manami, she came of her own free will."

"When were you in my world? I don't recall seeing you." I crossed my arms, huffing impatiently at a strand of hair that fell in front of my eyes.

"That is because you lost all of your memories of us when you were transported to this world."

I hesitated. That did kinda make sense to someone with a crazy mind like me, but I wasn't completely convinced. Not yet. "How?"

"There was a malfunction in the energy transporting you and your friends," the black-haired dude, Itachi, answered.

"You know about my friends?" I ran over to Itachi and grabbed the front of his cloak (I gripped so hard, a couple buttons popped open), getting down on my knees, "Did you find them? Where are they? Are they ok? Did any of them die?"

The blue-haired woman, Konan, knelt down next to me. "We do not know. You are the first one we've found."

"But they're alive?" I begged, "They can't be dead. I'd know it in here." I jabbed a finger at my chest where my heart was.

"That's what we're going to find out. The Akatsuki is going to go look for the other seven," Pein explained, "Will you be willing to join us?"

"Hell yeah," I said, jumping to my feet. But then I remembered something, "I don't know how to fight…"

"That can be easily arranged," Pein assured, tossing me a black cloak with red cloud patterns on it.

_**I forgot if I mentioned this in the previous chapter, but the POVs are going to be switching to the new names, so instead of 'Emma's POV,' it'll be 'Kozui's POV.' Remember the names!**_

_**Reviews are greatly appreciated, and thanks for reading!**_


	4. To Break Into a Village

~Kaminari's POV~

"FUCK THIS WORLD!" I roared, punching another hole into the boulder with my lightning jutsu.

Darui winced. "Why do you have to scream curses every time you perform a jutsu?"

"It helps me concentrate," I replied as I readied myself for another blow, "SHITFUCKJACKASS!"

Darui covered his ears. "You probably rival Tokira in language usage."

I paused. "Who's Tokira?"

"Tokira is a tiger that a ninja can summon for battle assistance."

The only words that registered in my mind were 'tiger' and 'battle.' I immediately forgot about the jutsu I was supposed to be practicing. "Can you teach me how to summon it?"

"She, not it," Darui corrected, not that I really cared. "And you both have to agree to the contract," he added.

"Whatever,"I said, "I agree."

Darui sighed before unrolling a scroll. "I need your blood here," he said, pointing to an empty space on the scroll.

I took out a kunai and cut my thumb, letting blood drip onto the paper. Darui showed me the hand signs, and I eagerly performed the summoning technique. There was a poof and a cloud of smoke filled the air in front of us. When it cleared, a giant white tiger sat there calmly, watching us.

"Tokira," Darui greeted the tiger, "This is Kaminari."

"**Is she my new fucking summoner brat?"** Tokira growled.

I stepped forward. "First off, fucking tiger, I am not a fucking brat. Second, I will be your new summoner as soon as you agree to being summoned by me, so hurry up and fucking agree already."

Tokira let out a roar of laughter. "**I like this brat better than the other ones!"**

I grinned. "So you agree?"

"**On one condition**."

"What?"

"**We do not call each other by name."**

"Deal!" I did a fist-pump. Yeah, someone who finally understands the meaning of violence and cursing!

* * *

~Kemuri's POV~

"**You sure you wanna try this out, Kemuri?**" Risuchi, my summoned animal, asked.

Risuchi was basically a fire squirrel. Pretty cool, hunh? Her tail was a pillar of flame, and the tips of her ears and her paws had flickering flames dancing on them. Scared me half to death at first, but I've gotten used to it.

"Yeah," I replied, forming hand signs, "If we set the forest on fire, I'll just use water jutsu and put it out."

"**But then, half the forest would be burned.**"

"Huuuuhh? Please, Risuchi! Just this once?" I sent her a pleading look. I knew she could see me despite me being on her head.

Risuchi groaned. "**Alright, but** **only once.**"

I gave her a sweet smile and blasted chakra out of my mouth. Fire Style: Fire Vortex!

Risuchi puffed up her cheeks and sent a string of flame through the middle of my fire tornado. Success! The forest didn't light up in flames either!

Or maybe it did.

"Nooo!" I cried, jumping up and down while flapping my arms.

"**Don't just stand on my head; put it out!**" Risuchi cried, stomping on the flames.

"Ok, ok!" I formed the seal of the horse. Water Style: Fountain Wave!

A giant water wave burst up from the ground and crashed over the forest, leaving charred trees and blackened soil behind. I put my head in my hands and sighed. That didn't go well.

* * *

~Jess's (Hyoga) POV~

"Are you sure we can trust them?" I asked Tsuki again.

A couple days ago, Tsuki and I had come face-to-face in the streets of the Hidden Grass Village, Kusagakure. A group of ninjas wearing black cloaks with red cloud patterns called the Akatsuki claimed that they knew us and Tsuki said that she was going to go with them and regain her memories. I decided to tag along because, well, Tsuki was my friend and if the Akatsuki knew me and Tsuki, they probably also knew the other six as well.

"Yes, Hyoga," Tsuki hissed irritably, "I've been traveling with them for a week and a half."

"Ok, fine. I was just making sure," I snapped back. A headache had sprung up some time after I met the Akatsuki and it was bothering me like hell.

"Yeah, well, I have a headache right now so I would appreciate it if you didn't bother me," Tsuki retorted.

"You have a headache too?"

She frowned. "Yeah, why? Do you?"

I nodded. "When did yours start?"

She pondered it for a bit. "I think it was after I met the Akatsuki…"

"Me, too." We stared at each other. Konan came over.

"Is there anything you two need?" she asked, eyeing us worriedly.

Esder and I turned our gaze to her. "Did you do something to us?" I demanded.

Konan blinked. "What do you mean?"

"Ever since we've met you, we've having headaches that are painful as hell," Esder said.

"So want to know if you've cursed us or placed some sort of seal on us," I added.

Konan raised her right hand. "I swear that the Akatsuki has done nothing to either of you whatsoever."

Pein came over. "What's going on?"

"Did you or any other Akatsuki member do something to us to make us have painful headaches?" Esder asked.

"Tsuki, that sounded a little wrong," I said.

"That's because you have a dirty mind," she shot back, blushing slightly. Pein and Konan looked amused.

"So have you?" I turned back to the two Akatsukis watching me and Tsuki argue.

"No," Pein said, "We have only been told to gather the eight of you together and help you recover all of your memories."

"We are telling the truth," Konan said, "Whether or not you believe us is up to you. Since I'm assuming you will, I will tell you that we are heading for Konohagakure. It is advised that you rest as much as possible tonight. Konoha is in the Land of Fire, which is a large country."

Tsuki and I glanced at each other, shrugged, and crawled into our sleeping bags.

* * *

"There was a forest fire here, but it was put out with water before it could do much damage," Itachi observed, examining a blackened portion of a forest.

"The water can't have come from a mere thunderstorm," Kisame added, appraising the trees, "The fire was too big to be extinguished so quickly."

"Says the fire and water expert, hmm," Deidara commented, kicking at the ground.

"The fire technique used was too large to be a newbie ninja," Sasori summarized, "It had to be from an elite shinobi or from a Kuchiyose."

"I think it's the latter," Kakuzu said, "Come look at this."

Everyone gathered next to the masked man. Embedded in the earth in front of them were two gigantic footprints. The footprints weren't human either.

"Is it from a toad?" Hidan asked, wrinkling his nose.

"No," Konan objected, "It looks like it's from some kind of cat or dog."

"I think it looks like a rabbit. **No, it looks like a bird,**" Zetsu argued with himself.

Pein shrugged. "Whatever. Let's get to Konoha and see if there's anyone there."

"Isn't the village supposed to be guarded though?" I asked.

Pein nodded.

"How are we gonna get in?"

"Not we," Pein corrected, "You and Tsuki are the ones doing the inlfiltrating."

"Ummm…ok, but how…wait. WHAT?"

"You and Tsuki are doing the infiltrating," Pein repeated.

"Alone?" I started panicking. Tsuki looked just as shocked as I felt.

"Yes, alone."

"SHIIIITTTTT!" This wasn't gonna end well, I could tell.

_**REVIEW, EVERYONE!**_


	5. Praise and Masochism

~Kozui's POV~

"Focus, Kozui," Chojuro said, "Imagine that your chakra is flowing peacefully throughout your body."

I concentrated as hard as could and stepped onto the lake. My chakra wasn't strong enough, and I immediately sank below the surface with a yelp.

Clawing my way back up to the surface, I brushed my wet hair out of my eyes. "I can't channel any more chakra into my feet."

"Yes, you can," Chojuro insisted from where he stood on the lake's surface, "It's easier than you think. You're just overestimating the difficulty of this exercise."

"And of course, you have to use big words when you're telling me that," I muttered, focusing more chakra into my feet and preparing to step on the lake again.

"Wait," Chojuro ordered, "Do you notice how much you're restraining your chakra?"

I glanced down, seeing that a thin layer of chakra was covering the bottoms of my feet.

"That tiny bit of chakra isn't going to support you at all," Chojuro explained, "Relax and gather more chakra to your feet. You don't have to worry about focusing too much."

Taking a deep breath, I gathered more chakra at my feet. The layer became slightly thicker. I took a cautious step forward onto the lake. Even though I didn't fall into the water at first, I ended up doing so anyway cuz I was so shocked, I let my concentration slip.

"That was very well done!" Chojuro praised after I scrambled out of the lake again.

"I lost focus though," I grumbled, squeezing water out of my hair.

"That was only your fourth try. Most genins only get it on their sixth or seventh try," Chojuro soothed, "Do you remember how that felt?"

I nodded, standing back up. I remembered exactly what that level of chakra control felt like and the focus my mind was going through when I was succeeding.

"Good. I want you to practice that and be prepared for our next lesson." Chojuro stepped off the lake. "Now, we're going to work on your water jutsu."

"Ok," I agreed, "Are you teaching me new ones or advising me on the old ones?"

"Both. Show me the one I taught you last lesson first."

I immediately got into a fighting stance and performed the necessary hand signs. Water Style: Water Archer Technique!

Water from the lake rose up and formed a bow and an arrow. I pulled the string back and fired the arrow into the training dummy a couple yards away, hitting the bull's eye dead on. Some more water separated itself from the bow to form another arrow. I shot this arrow at another dummy that was further away than the first. I missed the bull's eye by a few millimeters.

This process continued until I completely missed the target. After that, I released the jutsu and the bow and arrow melted back into water and splashed on the ground in front of me. The entire shooting exercise actually only took about ten seconds. I was a very fast archer.

Chojuro nodded approvingly. "Much better than last time. You've certainly been practicing this technique."

"Thanks." I dipped my head politely at my sensei's praise.

"Keep up the good work, and you may be able to make it into ANBU." I blinked at his next suggestion.

"Isn't ANBU the group of top ninjas in the village?"

"Yes."

I did a fist-pump. "I'm gonna work hard and become a member of the ANBU Black Ops!" I vowed.

Chojuro laughed. "I expect nothing less from my apprentice."

* * *

~Lindsay's POV~

"Hey, Gaara wants to see you in his office," Temari informed me.

"About what?" Maybe it was about me coming from another world and all that crap.

Temari shrugged. "I dunno, but you should hurry. There is a representative from the Council of Elders there as well."

"Ok, ok." I tied my forehead protector around my upper arm. "I'm going. Fast as the wind."

Temari cracked a smile. I gave her a two-fingered salute before performing hand signs. Special Technique: Wind Traveling!

My body dissolved as though blown to away by the wind even though I felt nothing. I left through the window and pretty much flew to the entrance of the Kazekage's office.

Just as I raised my hand to knock, I heard an angry voice snap, "She is a danger to this village and this world, Kazekage-sama, you know this!"

I paused, hearing Gaara-sama's calm voice issuing from behind the door. "No, I do not know, Shi-sama. Perhaps you would like to explain why."

"She came from a different world!" Shi snapped, "That makes her an outcast and a threat. Who knows what secrets she is keeping hidden from us? She may even be lying about her amnesia! She could be planning to destroy Sunagakure!"

"I will not throw her out without evidence that she has broken the shinobi law," Gaara retorted.

"Throw her out?" Disbelief edged Shi's voice, "We should kill her!"

"I will do no such thing." Gaara's tone said that he no longer wanted to discuss the subject. Me.

I quickly knocked on the door three times and pushed open the door after hearing an 'Enter.'

I pushed open the door to see a man in his late forties or early fifties standing next to the Kazekage's desk. I knew that he must be Shi because he was the stranger. He was also glaring at me suspiciously. I pretended not to know why.

"Kazekage-sama," I bowed politely, "Temari-sensei said that you wished to see me."

"I did," Gaara inclined his head, "Allow me to introduce you to Shi. He is a member of the Council of Elders in Sunagakure."

I bowed to Shi. "It is an honor to meet you, Shi-sama."

He grunted and gave me a stiff nod, still staring at me suspiciously.

"Back to business here," Gaara continued, "I called you here to discuss your training."

"Yes, Kazekage-sama."

"Temari told me that you have made extraordinary progress since you've begun your training. You can control chakra efficiently and use strategy to defeat an opponent that would otherwise overpower you."

I dipped my head in polite acceptance to Gaara's compliments. His next proclamation, however, was completely unexpected.

"I wish to promote you to Chunin."

I blinked and looked around the room to see if there was anyone else he could possibly be talking to. Seeing no one, I pointed to myself and asked, "Me?"

"Yes, you." Gaara's voice was tinged with amusement. He reached into a drawer and pulled something out. "In fact, I have a Chunin's forehead protector all ready for you."

"Thank you so much, Kazekage-sama!" I exclaimed, accepting the new forehead protector and replacing my old one.

* * *

~Ishi's POV~

"Owwwww! Friggin' fuck!" I cursed, rubbing my sore hands.

My exercise was to help strengthen my arms. Iwagakure shinobi were famous for their almost flawless defense, which came from strength, which came from exercises such as punching boulders repeatedly from dawn 'til noon.

"Alright. You can stop now," Kitsuchi said, pulling out a first aid kit.

Grumbling and rubbing my bruised and bleeding knuckles, I obediently walked over to my mentor and held out my hands. He dipped a cotton ball in medicine and gently dabbed at the cuts and scrapes. They hurt, but I just watched with a nonchalant face. This stinging and burning was nothing compared to the broken ribs I got when I was practicing taijutsu with Kitsuchi a couple weeks ago.

"Take the rest of the day off," Kitsuchi instructed once my hands were bandaged, "Let your hands heal."

"'Kay," I agreed, holding my hands up and examining them. Suddenly, I giggled. If my entire body was to be wrapped up in bandages like this, I would be a mummy.

Kitsuchi looked at me strangely. "What's so funny?"

I shook my head. "Just thinking about these bandages and something related in my world."

Kitsuchi shrugged. "Oh. I was wondering if you were enjoying the pain."

"What?" I screamed, "I am NOT masochistic!"

"Could have fooled me," he teased.

I lunged forward, arm poised to punch him. He dodged and I ended up slugging the ground instead. "OOOWWWWW!"

* * *

_**I just realized that I haven't done Tia's POV yet. I don't really feel like doing one since she's not actually a main character. More like a supporting character. But anyway, Tia's name has been changed to Suta and she is a sensory ninja. She ended up in Takigakure and met a ninja called Mi, who taught her shinobi skills. Unfortunately, Mi died so now, Suta is fending for herself. More details in future chapters.**_

_**REVIEW, PPL! I've planned nonstop for these stories!**_


	6. Why You Should Not Tell Hyoga to Shut Up

~Kemuri's POV~

"Asuma-san, which element is the most powerful out of the five?" I panted as Asuma and I jogged around Konoha.

Asuma pondered my question for a bit before saying, "Well, each element has its strengths and weaknesses so it's hard to say."

"Strengths and weaknesses?"

"Yeah. For example, the fire element is a good attack weapon, but it lacks a good defense. Water is usually the healing element, so it does well with that but is lacking in other aspects."

"What about the other three?"

"Lightning deals the most damage and has the greatest speed, but that speed is difficult to control. Lightning is also weak in defense and strength. Earth specializes in defensive measures, but it's slow. Someone with the water element and someone with the earth element would make a tough team in battle though. The two elements protect each other. The last element, wind, is extremely evasive and is a powerful element that can cover large areas but is weaker in attack strength."

"How can lightning do the most damage is it is weak in strength?" I was confused by the contradiction.

"Have you ever seen a lightning jutsu?"

"Kakashi-sensei showed me a lightning jutsu called Raikiri a couple days ago."

"Did you notice how jagged the lightning bolts are?"

"Yeah…Oh!" I suddenly understood.

Asuma grinned. "That's right. The jagged bolts do the severe damage, not the strength."

"Yeah, yeah. I get it. Since the lightning bolts are jagged, they rip and tear at the flesh to do extensive damage!" I threw my hands in the air with a loud whoop which turned into a yelp as I tripped and landed on my face.

Asuma chuckled. "Looks like that's an extra five laps, Kemuri."

"Nooo!" I whined, pushing myself back up.

"Not today," Asuma reassured, "Next week."

"Oh, ok."

* * *

~Tsuki's POV~

"How much you wanna bet it'll take us at least three days to find anyone, if there's someone here?" Hyoga grumbled.

"If we're lucky, we won't have to search that long," I said, fingering the ring Pein had given me before we set foot in Konoha. He told me to communicate with him through the ring if we find anyone.

"And if we're unlucky, there won't even be anyone here!" Hyoga exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air, "We'll be searching until we get old!"

I rolled my eyes. "Hyoga, can you do me a favor?"

"Ok?"

"Shut up."

"Hey!"

"Ah, ah, ah. You agreed."

Hyoga crossed her arms and gave me a glare but remained silent. I rolled my eyes and continued walking, scrutinizing anyone that passed me.

* * *

An hour later…

"What the fuck, man?" I shouted, stamping on Hyoga's foot, "You saw her and didn't bother saying anything?"

"You told me to shut up," Hyoga replied defiantly, massaging the foot I just stomped on.

"I only meant for you to stop with your nonsense blabber!"

She shrugged. "You never specified."

"That's not the point!" I stamped on her other foot, "We've wasted an hour looking for Sendy because you were too stupid to tell me you found her!"

"Geez, calm down, will ya?" Hyoga hollered back, "She's right behind you anyway!"

I whipped my head around, which was exactly what Hyoga wanted. She stamped on my foot, making me shriek and turn back. "Why you…!" I lunged at her and knocked her to the ground, where we wrestled.

"Who's the idiot now?" Hyoga shouted.

"Don't make me eat you!"

* * *

~Third POV~

"I don't believe this," Itachi muttered.

"What's going on?" Pein asked.

"Those two just got into a fist fight. My crow is watching them," Itachi explained, heaving a sigh of exasperation.

Pein rubbed his forehead. "I've been wondering when that'll happen."

"Should we infiltrate and stop them?" Kakuzu suggested, "Those two are hopeless."

Pein shook his head. "No. That's too risky. Itachi, try to communicate with them through your crow and get them back on task."

Itachi nodded. "Understood, Leader-sama."

* * *

~Kemuri's POV~

I laughed quietly as I watched the two tussle on the ground. I never thought there would be a day when I would be glad to see them fighting. They were also completely unaware that they had drawn a crowd. Those two probably wouldn't stop fighting for a long time, too. Back in my world, Olivia or Mimi was usually the ones to stop those two. Tia would egg them on enthusiastically. Emma and I would watch them as though they were some entertaining TV show. Lindsay didn't care; in fact, she would sometimes be the referee.

A crow flew towards the fighting pair. I watched with interest. That crow couldn't be an ordinary crow because if it was, it wouldn't be flying towards the fight. I saw it flying around Esder and Jess, pecking and cawing, until one of them punched it into a wall. The next few minutes were very entertaining to watch.

Jess and Esder both froze for a couple seconds. Then, they scrambled to their feet and ran, screaming at the top of their lungs while the crow chased after them, cawing furiously. I rolled around on the roof, laughing before following them via roof travel.

I started catching up with them a little. "What's it like, being chased by a crow?" I called, loud enough for them to hear me.

They both turned and promptly tripped over each other, inducing more laughter from me. Unfortunately, I rolled off the roof this time.

_**Sorry if this chapter is a little short. My cat was begging for my attention the entire time I was trying to write this. Unfortunately, I fell for her cute charm and spent some time playing with her. Now, she's chasing her own tail *gushes at cuteness***_

_**REVIEW, EVERYONE!**_


	7. Saying No to Kemuri is Pointless

_**There's a poll up on my profile! Please cast your vote by May 1**__**st**__**!**_

* * *

~Kemuri's POV~

"Whaaaat? These people know about us?" I gaped.

"It's what they say." Jess/Hyoga shrugged.

"Are you coming?" Esder/Tsuki asked.

"Wait…wha…can I ask you a few questions first?" I stuttered, mainly out of shock.

"You already asked us, like, three so yeah, ask away," Hyoga said.

I paced around them. "So you're saying that you…you met up with these…these….these strangers and – POW! – decided that you'll follow them around because they told you that they knew you?"

Tsuki tilted her head from side to side. "Yeah, I guess you could say that."

I was practically speechless. "You believed them without any proof? They could be lying!"

"Tsuki and I have been traveling with them for weeks and they haven't done anything to harm us," Hyoga soothed.

"Yet," I added. Tsuki rolled her eyes, rubbing her temple.

"Why do you keep rubbing your head?" I asked curiously.

"Oh, it's nothing. Just a headache," she replied.

"So will you come?" Hyoga pressed, looking hopeful.

I sighed. "I'm gonna try thinking ahead for once. Let's see, if I go, the good things that could happen are…"

"You get to see the others and travel around the ninja world," Tsuki supplied helpfully.

"And the worst thing that could happen is you die," Hyoga said bluntly.

I groaned, throwing my hands in the air. "Fine. I give up. I'll go with you guys, just let me speak with Tsunade-sama."

"Who's Tsunade?" Tsuki asked.

"The Hokage. Leader of this village," Hyoga replied.

"How do you know?"

"Pein told us, if you were listening."

"I wasn't."

"No surprises there."

"Who's Pein?" I interrupted before they could get into another wrestling match.

"Leader of Akatsuki," Tsuki answered, glaring at Hyoga.

"And the Akatsuki is…the group of strangers that you're following, right?"

"Yeah," Hyoga replied, staring daggers at Tsuki.

I looked between the two of them for a few more seconds before getting up and heading for the door. "I'm gonna go talk to the Hokage about this. Stay here and don't move until I get back," I emphasized the 'stay here' part. Both of them grunted and continued their staring contest. I mentally sighed and shut the door.

* * *

~Tsuki's POV~

"I'm afraid I have to disobey your 'don't move' order, Kemuri-chan," I muttered, pulling out the ring Pein gave me and calling a halt to the staring contest.

I sent a jolt of chakra into the ring like Pein taught me and waited. A couple seconds later, his hologram appeared in front of me and Hyoga.

"Who is it?" he asked, his voice echoing mechanically around Kemuri's room.

"Sendy, aka Kemuri," I informed.

"What's the 'aka' for?"

"She changed her name," Hyoga explained.

"Is she coming?" Konan's hologram appeared next to Pein.

"She is going to talk…" I started, but was rudely interrupted.

"Oh, hey! We just need to touch this fucking ring to be transported to where they are!" Hidan popped up on Pein's other side, making his leader's eyebrow twitch.

"That wasn't fair, Leader-sama, Tobi is a good boy. Tobi wants to talk to them, too!" Tobi's hologram squeezed himself between Pein and Hidan.

"Leader, why did you lie and tell us only you could use this ring, hmm?" Deidara appeared next to Konan.

Pein lost his patience. "Excuse me for a moment," he told me and Hyoga before vanishing. Konan disappeared as well.

"Fuck," Hidan swore before flickering and dissipating.

Deidara laughed. "We better go, hmm. Leader's gonna try and kill us for this. C'mon, Tobi."

"Yes, Deidara-senpai!" the masked man chirped before the two left with a buzzing.

Hyoga and I rolled our eyes and waited, a little impatiently, for Pein's return. He reappeared with an annoyed look in his eyes and was breathing heavily.

"Well, Tsuki, what were you saying before we were rudely interrupted?" he asked, calming himself down.

I creased my forehead. "Umm…I don't know. What was I saying?" I asked Hyoga.

"Kemuri was going to talk to somebody," she said slowly.

"Right! Kemuri is going to talk to the Hokage about this," I told Pein.

He looked troubled, but before I could ask why, he said, "When will she be ready to leave?"

Hyoga shrugged. "If we're lucky, tonight or tomorrow."

Hologram-Pein nodded. "I'll send Itachi to escort you three out of Konoha."

I blinked. "What? Why?"

"I will…tell you when I next see you two." I frowned at his reluctance to reveal anything.

"You're seeing us now." I gestured to Hyoga and myself.

"In person," he quickly added and left before I could say anything else.

I huffed angrily and, for a lack of something better to do, jabbed Hyoga, thus starting the second every-woman-for-herself wrestling match.

* * *

~Kemuri's POV~

I knocked quietly on the Hokage's door, trying to control my excitement and apprehension.

"Enter," Tsunade called. I opened the door stepped into the office, shutting the door behind me, and bowed politely to her.

"Is there something I can do for you, Kemuri-chan?" Tsunade asked, resting her head on her hands.

I couldn't hold back my emotions any longer. I let out a squeal and started jumping up and down while Tsunade watched me with a raised eyebrow.

"Two of my friends came to Konoha today!" I cried, throwing my hands in the air with a loud whoop.

Tsunade smiled. "That is great news, Kemuri-chan. I can see that you are very excited."

"I am!" I exclaimed gleefully, then calmed down, "But that's not all, Tsunade-sama."

"Oh?"

"Yes, you see, they want me to accompany them on a journey to search for the other five," I mumbled the last bit, afraid that she would say no.

She didn't say anything but remained deep in thought. When she finally took a breath to speak, I tensed slightly, bracing myself for the disappointment that would follow the rejection. I was surprised, however.

"I don't object to you going to look for your friends," she began, "You have great potential and a journey outside Konoha would actually be good for you experience-wise. However, as talented you may be, you do not have enough skill yet to go out without jonin or ANBU back-up. On the other hand, if both of your friends are skilled enough to protect all three of you, then you may go."

"I doubt my friends are skilled enough. They're both dunderheads," I muttered, hanging my head.

"In that case, I will assign a couple ANBU Black Ops to go with you. I will not have three young ninjas traipsing around on their own," she said firmly.

She just wanted skilled ninjas to come with us to make sure we didn't get into trouble! My spirit returned. "That's okay, Tsunade-sama! Tsuki and Hyoga are traveling with this organization that is capable of keeping us safe!"

"And what organization might this be?" Tsunade asked curiously.

I cocked my head. "Uhh…I think it was called Akatsuki or something like that."

Tsunade's expression changed immediately. "No!" she shouted, jumping up in her chair and making me flinch, "I will NOT have you traveling with them!"

"W-w-why not?" I stuttered, confused as to why she suddenly went from smiling angel to PMSing old granny.

"You may not travel with Akatsuki! That is final!" she snarled, fury lighting her eyes.

"For what reason?" I was recovering from my shock but was still bewildered about her reaction to Akatsuki.

"Akatsuki is an infamous organization made up of S-ranked criminals. They are known for their willingness to murder _anyone_ to achieve their goal," Tsunade explained, calming down slightly.

I pondered what Tsunade just told me. According to her, the Akatsuki murdered anyone. But how come Tsuki and Hyoga were alive and well?

"I'm afraid I can't obey your order, Tsunade-sama," my voice adopted the cool politeness that always came when I was getting aggravated.

She glared at me. "And why not?"

"I do not think the Akatsuki murders anyone they see," I continued, "My friends have traveled with them for weeks, and both of them are alive and well."

"Murder is not all the Akatsuki does," Tsunade snapped, "They manipulate others for their use. They could be trying to manipulate the eight of you to do their bidding."

"No," I shook my head, "I'm sorry, Tsunade-sama, but this is my only chance to find my friends. I _have_ to go."

"I will not allow it," she answered defiantly, "I will have you locked up in prison if that is necessary to prevent you from leaving."

I stared. This was going too far. Arguing with the Hokage would get me nowhere. I put on an act. "You're right, Tsunade-sama," I murmured apologetically, bowing my head, "It would be foolish of me to go with a criminal organization that I know nothing about."

She accepted my ploy. "Thank you, Kemuri. Now, I can assign a team of ANBU to escort you and your friends to the other nations to search for your friends."

"How long before we can set out?" I kept up the act.

"I would say about a week," she mused, "Preparations must be made and we need to obtain permission from the other Kages."

"Alright then, Tsunade-sama." I bowed slightly and left the room, shutting the door behind me. Glancing out a window in the hall, I saw that the sun was beginning to sink into the horizon. I needed to move fast.

* * *

~Hyoga's POV~

Kemuri practically kicked down the front door and rushed inside, scaring the hell out of me and Tsuki.

"What's going on?" Tsuki asked, picking herself off the floor.

"We need to leave," Kemuri panted, turning to look at both of us, "Tonight."

"You're acting funny. What's the matter?" Tsuki asked, grabbing her katana and tying it around her waist.

"Why didn't you two tell me?" Kemuri exploded, "Did you know the Akatsuki is a criminal organization?"

I dropped the pack of kunais that I was holding while Tsuki accidentally banged her knee against the table.

"What?" the two of us cried together.

Kemuri rolled her eyes. "I guess you didn't know then."

I gritted my teeth. "Let's go," I snarled, "We have some _business_ to settle."

"Yeah," Tsuki agreed, sprinting out the door with the two of us on her heels.

The two guards at the gate were a problem.

"Quick, Izumo. Report to Lady Hokage!" Kotetsu cried, holding his stomach. I had delivered a powerful punch there earlier.

"Run!" Kemuri shouted, following Tsuki as the three of us made a mad dash for the woods.

Suddenly, a flock of crows surrounded us, making us scream and cover our heads. _Shit, they caught us already?_ I thought before a pale hand reached out and grabbed my wrist. I looked up to see the crows slowly melt into Itachi.

"Is anyone hurt?" he asked. I shook my head, too breathless to speak. He dashed ahead to where Tsuki was leading us in some random direction.

"This way," he ordered, taking a sharp left. We followed him like a pack of hungry wolves hunting a deer.

Pretty soon, we made it back to where the rest of the Akatsuki was waiting. The minute we burst into the clearing, Sasori and Konan took us aside to check for wounds. Finding none, Sasori offered me a vial with clear liquid, telling me that it would help keep up my strength. I shook my head and he raised an eyebrow, confused about my refusal since I had never turned down what he offered before.

Tsuki, meanwhile, had unsheathed her katana and was swiping at Kisame, who looked bewildered as he avoided her attacks.

"You. Liar!" Tsuki shouted, now making jabbing motions with her blade, "Why didn't any of you say anything to us? Hunh? It would have been very kind of you if you told us that you were a criminal organization in the beginning!"

Pein teleported next to her and wrenched the katana from her grasp. "How did you find out?"

"Tsunade told Kemuri and Kemuri told us!" she screamed, jumping in the air as she tried to retrieve her sword. Pein held it high above her head out of her reach.

"We had to break out of Konoha because Tsunade-sama wouldn't let me leave," Kemuri said dully, watching Tsuki struggle.

"Tobi missed Kemuri-chan!" Tobi yelled, wrapping Kemuri in a giant hug. Kemuri turned to look at him.

"Have we met before?" she asked.

Tobi gave an injured gasp. "Kemuri-chan doesn't remember Tobi? Tobi went to Kemuri-chan's world! Kemuri-chan and her friends helped Tobi!"

Kemuri shook her head listlessly. "I don't remember you," she said slowly, prying Tobi's arms off her.

Tobi wilted. "But Tobi's been a good boy…" he whispered sadly.

I suddenly remembered. "Guys, we should get out of here. Konoha could be pursuing us right now!"

* * *

~Lindsay's POV~

Another kunai whizzed by my cheek. "Shit," I muttered, running faster.

I knew Shi would be trying something to get rid of me. What I didn't expect was the ten or so ANBU members that were chasing me well out of Suna with an intent to kill me. Nobody was here to help me. I was all alone with a group of skilled shinobi on my tail.

I skidded to a halt, just barely saving myself from falling off a cliff. _Damn it!_ I thought, looking around for

I bit my thumb and jumped off the cliff while performing hand signs. "Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" I shouted holding my hand out in front. A puff of smoke engulfed me and my feet were planted firmly on Takuma's back. He flapped his wings, flying us outta there.

"**What's going on?**" he asked, soaring away from the ANBU, who had halted at the edge of the cliff.

I opened my mouth to answer but another kunai flew by, knocking off the forehead protector that I wore on my arm. I made a grab for it, but missed, and watched as it fell back onto the earth.

"I guess I'm a missing-nin now," I murmured. Takuma said nothing, but I knew he was watching with those big orange eyes of his. I righted myself and brushed away the tears that had formed as we headed west.

* * *

_**Just FYI, Tobi is just Tobi in this story. He isn't Madara or Obito. Just good old Tobi. I didn't have the heart to write him as an evil bastard.**_

_**Poll on my profile until May 1**__**st**__**. Take part in it, or your opinions don't matter!**_

_**REVIEW, GUYS! OR I'M NOT UPDATING!**_


	8. What the Fuck, Arashi!

_**There's a poll up on my profile! Go and cast your vote!**_

* * *

~Konan's POV~

"Pein," I said, gaining his attention, "They're coming."

"I know," he answered. Turning to the rest of the group, he called, "Stick together! The pursuit is catching up!"

As soon as he finished his sentence, a kunai attached to a flaming rope shot out of the trees and the rope wrapped itself around Kemuri. She burst into flames at the same time as I folded a paper shuriken and cut the rope.

"Kemuri!" I cried as the flaming kunoichi landed on the ground. The flames blazed around her body before they flickered and disappeared. I blinked. _What? _Kemuri was completely uninjured. No burns. Nothing. Except she looked really angry.

"That wasn't a very nice greeting, was it?" she says softly with a hint of danger in her voice.

Three ANBU members appeared in front of her, armed with their swords. "Kemuri-san, Hokage-sama has decreed that you must come back to Konoha along with your two friends," the captain, who wore a hawk mask, said.

Pein stepped forward. "She made the decision to come with us. Leave her alone."

"I'm afraid we cannot do that. It's Tsunade-sama's orders." The ANBU tightened their grips on their weapons.

"Then you'll have to fight us, hmm!" Deidara declared loudly, showing his palms to the ANBU. The mouths on his hands were chewing furiously.

More ANBU members jumped down, surrounding the Akatsuki. "You will not win this fight," the captain declared, "We have set up a trap, which involves a seal that prevents you from accessing your chakra."

Out of curiosity, I tried to use my usual paper jutsu. Nothing happened. Glancing around at the others, I saw that Itachi's Sharingan wasn't activated and Sasori's puppet had collapsed to the ground.

The ANBU attacked. Without chakra, the Akatsuki could still hold their ground against the Black Ops, but throw in the task of protecting three nineteen-year-old inexperienced girls and the whole thing gets much harder.

Kisame and Itachi were protecting Tsuki, who was holding her katana in front of her and jabbing and slashing at any ANBU members that came too close. They were up against five ANBU.

Hyoga was fighting next Hidan, Kakuzu, and Sasori. Not that she needed to do much fighting. Kakuzu's threads wound themselves around their opponents, holding them up in the air as they wriggled and screamed.

I scanned the battle for Kemuri and found her cornered by two ANBU members, who were dodging her attacks and advancing slowly, pushing her away from the main group. I began pushing my way towards her, screaming to Pein. The two of us gradually closed the distance between us and Kemuri.

Suddenly, the ANBU captain appeared behind Kemuri, who was busy dealing with her first two adversaries. He crept up on her, leaking evil intent.

"Kemuri!" I shouted desperately. It was too late. The ANBU captain hit her pressure point, knocking her unconscious. Kemuri slumped forward, into the arms of one of her ANBU attackers, who hoisted her over his shoulder and jumped away into the trees. The other two ANBU turned and headed back into the fight.

"Konan, I'll get her. You stay here with the others!" Pein ordered, chasing after Kemuri's captor. I nodded and went to aid Tsuki.

* * *

~Lindsay's (Arashi) POV~

"Takuma, this is Konohagakure, isn't it?" I called, watching the trees pass by underneath us.

"**Yeah,**" Takuma replied, "**Big ally of Sunagakure. It's too dangerous to land here.**"

"Wasn't asking to land," I leaned back, "Just curious."

Takuma didn't reply and a couple seconds passed in silence until he broke it. "**Looks like Konoha ANBU apprehended an intruder.**"

"What?" I craned my neck to see a masked ANBU member carrying a girl over his shoulder. Thoughts immediately began to run through my head and I started seeing red. "Takuma, stop that guy!"

"**What? Why?**"

"Just do it!"

He rolled his eyes. "**Fine, but none of this is my fault.**"

"Relax. I'll take all the blame. Now hurry!"

Takuma flapped his wings fast and hard as I jumped down into the trees. The ANBU person had been thrown back into a tree trunk by the strong gust of wind Takuma stirred up, and I took this chance to grab the girl. I jabbed a pressure point on his neck before he could react and his head slumped into his chest. Hopping back up on Takuma's back, I received a slight shock as I saw the girl's face.

"Sendy?"

* * *

~Kemuri's POV~

Did someone just call my name? Is it Konoha? No, it couldn't be. Anyone from Konoha would call me Kemuri, not Sendy. So who is it then? I blinked open my eyes to see a familiar Asian face above me.

"Lindsay?"

"Arashi," she corrected, "Call me Arashi."

I cocked my head to the side. "So you changed your name too?"

"What's yours?"

"Kemuri. What are you doing here?"

Arashi shrugged. "Nothing. Just happened to fly by. This is Takuma, by the way." She gestured to the hawk that was flying us through Konoha.

"**Pleasure to meet you, Kemuri-san**," he said, eyeing me with huge orange orbs. I shivered slightly.

"Just Kemuri," I said, nodding to the hawk.

"What was that ANBU member going to do with you?" Arashi asked, crossing her arms and looking perfectly at ease on Takuma's back while I swayed uncomfortably and hoped I wouldn't fall off.

"He was going to take me back to Konoha because I kinda left without the Hokage's permission and she ordered that I be brought back," I answered, peering cautiously over the side of Takuma's neck.

"Oh."

I found what I was looking for. The Akatsuki was milling around anxiously. No ANBU members were in sight. They must have fought them off after I got kidnapped.

"Hey, Arashi," I said excitedly. Arashi raised an eyebrow. "Come with us. We're looking for everyone else!"

She stood up and looked at the group in the forest. "Who're the people with you?"

"They're called the Akatsuki. According to Tsuki and Hyoga, the Akatsuki is going to help us in our search."

"Tsuki and Hyoga?"

"Esder and Jess."

"Huh." Arashi watched them for a moment longer. "Sorry, Muri-chan. I'm not going with you yet."

"What?" I cried, "But, Ara-chan!"

Arashi interrupted me. "After you've found the all of the others, come to the Yukigakure. The Land of Snow. Send me a message first using one of my messanger hawks."

"But why aren't you coming now?" I whined.

"If the other four that you haven't found yet trust the Akatsuki, then I will have no choice but to trust them as well," Arashi explained, standing up, "Now are you ready?"

I drew a blank. "For what?"

She suddenly pushed me off Takuma. I screamed and flailed wildly as I fell back down to the earth.

"**See you some other time, Kemuri!**" Takuma called as he and Arashi flew away.

* * *

~Pein's POV~

I arrived back to where the others waited. I had found the ANBU member unconscious and Kemuri had disappeared. I knew Kemuri didn't run away, so she must have been kidnapped by someone else. How should I explain this to the others?

The Akatsuki looked at me expectantly and as I opened my mouth to explain what happened, I heard screaming from above. Before I could take a look at what was going on, something fell on top of me, smashing my face into the ground.

The person got off and started screaming, "Arashi, you jerk! What the hell was that for, pushing me off your hawk without warning me first?"

I got back up, trying to maintain the dignity that remained after the face-plant. Kemuri was jumping up and down, waving her fist at the sky and shouting at this 'Arashi.'

I grabbed her wrists. "Are you alright?"

"How would you feel if you were pushed off a giant hawk?" she screeched.

"She's okay," Tsuki said, "Who's Arashi?"

"Arashi is the person who pushed me off the hawk, also known as Lindsay," Kemuri replied, calming down a little.

"What?" Hyoga exclaimed, "Why didn't you tell her to come with us?"

"I did," Kemuri said, "She said that she wasn't gonna come with us until we find the other four. After we get the other four, we have to go to the Land of Snow and wait for her there."

"Then we should hurry and recruit the other four," Itachi said. The Akatsuki nodded in agreement.

* * *

~Tsuki's POV~

"So where are we headed to next?" I asked Pein.

"I would recommend going to Kirigakure next," he said, "Any objections?"

There were a couple shakes of heads and Pein nodded in approval. "Let's go." He started walking to the border of Konoha.

I followed him, but I only took one step before pain exploded through my head. I screamed and fell to my knees, barely aware of the concerned voices shouting to me. The pain grew until I thought my head would split in half.

Suddenly, images cut across my vision. My eyes widened as I realized these were images of me, my friends, and…_the Akatsuki_. In the images, I saw that Itachi, Sasori, Deidara, and Tobi were sitting in my high school's cafeteria with the eight of us. We were chatting calmly until Tobi threw a French fry at Mimi and a food fight started.

As the images finally faded, I found myself curled up on the ground, gasping and clutching my head. Kemuri and Hyoga were watching me with worried looks and the anxious murmur of the Akatsuki hummed in the background. My head still throbbed but I pushed myself up shakily and stumbled over to where the four I saw in my vision were.

Pointing my index finger at them, I gasped, "What is the most memorable thing that happened when you were in my world?"

They exchanged confused glances, but answered. "The hurricane," Sasori said.

"Trick-or-treating!" Tobi declared.

"Christmas, I believe," Itachi mused.

"The food fight on the first day of school, hmm!" Deidara shouted, pumping a fist in the air.

I released the breath I had been holding in one big whoosh and sank down to my knees again. Kisame squatted down next to me and I leaned against him. "You okay, kid?"

I nodded. "Deidara."

"Yeah?" he eyed me warily.

"Can you describe me in detail what happened during the food fight?"

He grinned. "Yeah, hmm. Tobi threw a French fry at Mimi, so naturally, Mimi got pissed off and tried to retaliate with mashed potatoes, but she got me instead. I threw a handful of peas at her to get her back, but the peas scattered in midair and…"

I cut him off with a wave of my hand. "That's enough."

Pein knelt beside me. "What's going on, Tsuki?"

"I just saw these images. Images of the food fight Deidara described," I explained. Pein exchanged a meaningful look with Konan.

"Pein," Konan started.

"I know," he answered, "I think Tsuki just recovered her first memory."

* * *

_**Hey, guys! How'd you like the story so far? If there's anything you're confused about or don't like, go ahead and PM me or discuss it in your review! I know there might be some confusion with the girls' names so I'll list them here.**_

_**Esder=Tsuki; no chakra nature but is skilled with a katana**_

_**Jess=Hyoga; taijutsu**_

_**Sendy=Kemuri; fire and water, kekkei genkai=boil release**_

_**Lindsay=Arashi; wind and fire, kekkei genkai=plant release**_

_**Tia=Suta; sensory ninja**_

_**Mimi=Kaminari; lightning and earth, kekkei genkai=crystal release**_

_**Emma=Kozui; water and lightning, kekkei genkai=storm release**_

_**Olivia=Ishi; earth and wind, kekkei genkai=dust release**_

_**Stay tuned for the next chapter in which the Akatsuki will infiltrate Kirigakure! DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW!**_

'_**Til next time!**_


	9. I've Always Wanted a Criminal Friend

_**There's a poll up on my profile! Go vote, people!**_

* * *

~Deidara's POV~

"Hey, Leader! We're running late, hmm!" I said as we raced across the sea to get to Kirigakure.

"Nothing can be done about it, Deidara," Leader replied, "We could not move when Hyoga was recovering her first memory."

"I have a question, Pein," Tsuki called from next to Kemuri.

"Go ahead."

"Why does it hurt so much when we recover a memory?"

Leader-sama thought about it for a moment before replying, "I don't know, Tsuki, but I have a theory."

"Then tell us, fucking leader!" Hidan shouted, earning himself a smack on the head from Kakuzu, "Ow!"

"Show some respect, Hidan," Kakuzu snarled.

"Fuck off, money bastard!"

Leader ignored the two bickering. "Has anyone told you that memories are supposed to be one of the most precious things to a human?"

"No," Tsuki answered.

"Well, some people say that," Pein continued, "Perhaps the reason that you all experience such pain when you recover a memory is that memories are considered treasures to a person."

"But why do treasures hurt so much?" Hyoga muttered, still massaging her head. I grinned.

"Hey, don't forget that Akatsuki is suffering, too, hmm," I told them, "Back in your world, your little group of friends and the Akatsuki were pretty much a family. You were all crying when we left, hmm."

"For once, the brat is right," Sasori grumbled.

"Thanks, Danna…wait. FOR ONCE?"

"We were a family?" Kemuri mused.

"We are family!" Hyoga sang, waving her arms in the air.

"… (Fucking) what, (hmm)?" we all asked.

"Never mind," Hyoga sighed.

"How're we going to infiltrate Kiri, Leader-sama?" Itachi asked.

"I'll do it," Kisame volunteered, "I'm a former Kirigakure ninja. I know how to get past its defenses."

"I would prefer not," Leader stated, "Since you're a former Kiri-nin, you are too easily recognized. I would much rather have the three girls do it."

"Hunh?" Kemuri, Hyoga, and Tsuki stared at Leader.

"Oh, no, Leader-sama. Remember what Hyoga and Tsuki did in Konoha?" Kakuzu objected.

"Well…you do have a point there," Leader admitted.

"We weren't that bad!" Tsuki protested.

"Hey, Leader. I'll go, hmm!" I smirked.

"But you don't know how to get in without being sensed," Leader protested.

"That's easy," Itachi spoke up, "Kisame goes with Deidara to get past the security. Then, Deidara can do the actual searching while Kisame lies hidden, ready to act as back-up if something goes wrong."

"…"

"I think that's a good idea," Konan agreed.

Kakuzu nodded. "Certainly the best we've come up with so far."

"Hey, I damned wanna go, too!" Hidan shouted.

"No."

"What? Why fucking not, Sasori?"

"Because you'd massacre the entire village, which ruins the whole purpose of this infiltration."

"That's true, **Hidan.**"

"Fuck you, Zetsu!"

"Deidara and Kisame, get on one of Deidara's clay birds and go on ahead. We'll catch up later," Leader ordered, "Don't forget to use your rings to communicate."

I grinned and raised my hand, the mouth on my palm spitting out a clay bird. "Understood, Leader."

I threw the clay bird in front of me and formed the seal necessary to enlarge it. It expanded, and Kisame and I jumped on.

"See you later," Kisame said.

"Brat, you better not keep us waiting!" Sasori shouted.

"Can't promise anything, Danna! Hmm!"

"If you keep us waiting, I'll use the Third Kazekage against you!"

"And what? Iron Sand Shower me?"

Sasori snarled and whipped out a scroll. I quickly pumped chakra into me art. It started flying faster and Kisame and I began to leave the others behind.

"Just remember, Danna! Art is a bang, hmm!"

* * *

"We've passed the barrier. Guess this is where I'll wait," Kisame said as we passed a small forest.

"Yeah, hmm. I'll see you later."

"Take care of yourself, kid." Kisame grinned, showing his sharp teeth.

"I'm not a kid, hmm!"

"Oh, really? I'm past thirty already and you're not even twenty yet." I swung my fist at him and he jumped off, laughing.

"Annoying shark-human," I muttered, closing my right eye and using my scope to scout the village.

* * *

~Kozui's POV~

I was on my first B-ranked mission, which was to eliminate a rouge ninja that had been hiding out near Kiri for the past few days. I had a water bow ready in case I found him and had hidden my chakra signature to make sure he didn't find me first.

A shadow flitted at the edge of my vision. I immediately whipped around, pointing an arrow in the general direction. I thought I could see a figure hunched over in between the trees. Narrowing my eyes, I aimed my arrow at the figure and pulled the bowstring back, about to fire.

"Yo!"

I jumped and repositioned the arrow, pointing to where the greeting had come from. In other words, the sky. I saw this white bird hovering above me and a blonde person grinning down. Annoyance flickered through me.

"Why are blondes so stupid?" I muttered, lowering the bow just a hair. Then, I frowned. There was something wrong with the question I just asked.

Then, I realized. "Wait, I'm a blonde!" (A/N: This was not meant to offend any blondes out there. I only intended to use it for comic relief.)

"Hey, are you forgetting something, hmm?" the blonde asked. Blinking, I remembered my mission.

Quickly pointing my weapon to the place where the figure was, I saw that it wasn't there anymore.

_Shit._

I turned around to see the rouge ninja behind me. The glint of a blade caught my attention, but it was too late to dodge. I shut my eyes and prepared for the pain.

Suddenly, a big explosion to my left sent me flying. I fell on the ground hard, completely winded. There was another BOOM, making me cover my head to protect myself from the gravel and pebbles raining on me. Once the worst of the shower was over, I staggered up and readied the arrow again, pointing it into the dust raised by the explosions.

"He's dead, hmm."

I gasped in surprise and whirled around, this time, pointing my arrow at the blonde person's head. He held up his hands, smirking.

"Woah, there. I save your life and this is what I get, hmm?" he joked.

"I don't trust strangers easily," I retorted, "Who are you?"

"Deidara," he answered, "I've been looking for you for…what? A couple weeks now, hmm?"

"Looking…for me?"

"Yeah, hmm. Along with Sendy, Jess, and Esder."

"What did you do to them?" I snarled, raising my bow higher.

"Calm down, hmm," Deidara soothed, "Those three and the other Akatsuki members are doing just fine."

"Akawhaa?"

Deidara sighed, putting his head in his hands. "This is gonna be much harder if you don't have your memories, hmm."

I was instantly wary again. "What do you know about me?"

He opened his mouth to say something but was cut off by a sword crashing down in front of him. He jumped backwards, and the moment his feet touched the ground, a chain sprang up from the ground, binding his arms. Two Kirigakure ninjas appeared, holding onto two separate ends of the chain.

"We've got him, Chojuro!" one of them declared.

"Excellent. Take him to the prison and notify Mizukage-sama immediately," Chojuro said, standing in front of me.

I was very confused. "Sensei? What's going on?"

"This person, Deidara, is a member of the criminal organization called Akatsuki," Chojuro explained, "He's a pyromaniac and his hobby is blowing up anything and everything."

_A criminal?_ I stared at Deidara, who was currently struggling against his bonds. "But Chojuro-sensei, this can't be right. He just saved me from a rouge ninja," I objected, "Perhaps you have the wrong person?"

"No," Chojuro stated flatly, "This is Deidara, former terrorist of Iwagakure. He is responsible for the bombings of countless villages and the death Akira Masami, who was an ANBU captain in Sunagakure. Of course, he didn't do this alone. He had an accomplice, Akasuna no Sasori."

"Let me go, hmm!" Deidara snarled, straining to free himself. One of the Kirigakure merely formed a seal, making Deidara grunt in pain and fall to his knees.

I couldn't take it anymore. Sure, he was an S-ranked criminal and all, but he just saved my life. I wasn't going to let him get killed.

…And I've always wanted to befriend a criminal…

So yeah, I guess this was why I did what I did. I watched Deidara, no, I STARED. I stared so hard that I was surprised his head wasn't burning up. When he finally caught my eye, I began to twitch my fingers, sending him a message.

This code method was something every shinobi learned in case they needed to communicate silently. Hopefully, Deidara would remember this code and decipher what I was trying to tell him.

Fortunately, he understood because he blinked once and pretended to succumb to the Kiri ninjas. They dragged/led him away. Chojuro gave me a regretful glance before following.

Now, I just have to get all the information needed to get Deidara out, which meant breaking into the prison. Just great…

* * *

_**I was supposed to wait until my beta gave me the OK before posting this, but I decided to pull a Sasori and stop waiting XD**_

_**Anyway, REVIEW!**_


	10. Planning

_**I'm in the need of some really good death threats. Wanna be nice and suggest some? ;)**_

* * *

~Ishi's POV~

"Well done today, Ishi-chan," Kitsuchi praised, "You just accomplished your first B-ranked mission with flying colors."

I wiped sweat from my forehead, grinning. "Thanks, Kitsuchi-sensei."

"After we report to Tsuchikage-sama, would you like to go out and celebrate?"

I perked up. "Sure. Where?"

"You get to choose," Kitsuchi promised as we started ninja-running back to Iwagakure.

I tapped my chin thoughtfully. "Hmm…how about some sushi?"

"Of course."

When we finally arrived in the Tsuchikage's building, I was practically dying from exhaustion. Kitsuchi gave me a sympathetic glance before knocking and entering the Tsuchikage's office.

"Ah!" old man, Onoki exclaimed, "Ishi. Kitsuchi. How was the mission? You succeeded, I expect?"

Kitsuchi and I both got down on one knee. "The mission was successfully accomplished, Tsuchikage-sama," Kitsuchi answered, "Ishi has progressed a lot in the three weeks she has been training. She only had minor difficulties, if she had any at all."

"Exce-" the Tsuchikage began, rising from his chair. He was interrupted by a loud _CRACK!_

"GAHHH! MY BACK!" he hollered, clutching his back with one hand and holding onto his desk for support with the other.

"Tsuchikage-sama!" Kitsuchi cried, hurrying over to help the Tsuchikage.

"I'm fine!" the Tsuchikage gasped in pain, "Ishi, you are dismissed. Kitsuchi, stay for a while longer. I need to speak with you."

I stood and bowed to the old man before leaving the office. Leaving the building, I plopped down on the front steps to wait for Kitsuchi so we could go get sushi together.

After about ten minutes, Kitsuchi came out. "What did Tsuchikage-sama want?" I asked curiously, getting to my feet.

Kitsuchi shook his head. "Nothing important," he reassured, avoiding eye contact.

I frowned, but nodded. It was a really transparent lie, but I didn't want to question my mentor if he didn't want to tell me.

"Let's go get that sushi!" I cheered, running off with Kitsuchi on my heels.

~0~

~Kaminari's POV~

Knock, knock.

I rolled over in bed at the sound of someone knocking on my door. "Fuck off," I mumbled, putting my pillow over my head.

Knock, knock.

I growled before covering my head with my blanket and placing the pillow on top of the blanket.

Knock, knock.

"DAMN YOU!" I roared, throwing off the blanket and pillow before stomping into the living room, "I WANT TO SLEEP! LEAVE ME ALONE! WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE?"

"Raikage-sama wants us for a mission," Darui's bored voice came from behind the door.

"I'M NOT GOING!"

"You get to kill people…"

"Wait for me!" I ran to my bedroom, changing into my ninja apparel as fast as I could and grabbing my tanto sword (1). Racing back, I threw open the door to see Darui leaning lazily against the railing.

"I'm ready," I said, tying my forehead protector around my head and brushing my hair out of my face.

~0~

~Kozui's POV~

Ok, Kozui. Just breathe and act as natural as you can.

Uh-huh, you guessed right. I was about to try and wheedle out where Deidara's cell was. The thing was, I was going to ask the Mizukage.

Yeah, I know. Holy crap.

Taking a deep breath, I knocked on Mei's door. After hearing the consent to enter, I quickly pasted a fake smile on my face and pushed open the door.

"Ah, hello, Kozui," Terumi Mei smiled at me, "If you're here to give me your report, Chojuro already told me everything."

My heart skipped. That made things both easier and harder.

"Did Chojuro-sensei tell you about Deidara?" I asked, hoping my true intentions did not show in any way shape or form.

The Mizukage sighed. "Yes, he did. What were you thinking, Kozui?" her voice hardened, "Defending a criminal like that. You could have been killed."

I bowed my head in an act of submission. "I apologize, Mizukage-sama," I lied, "I did not know Deidara was a criminal at that time. I promise it won't happen again."

Mei relaxed. "It is quite alright, Kozui. It is not entirely your fault. You'll be fine now though," she continued, shifting papers on her desk, "We have the missing-nin locked up in the lowest level of the prison and sealed away his chakra. He shouldn't be able to escape. Execution will be the day after tomorrow."

Wow, I just got all the information I wanted in one blow.

"Understood, Mizukage-sama," I bowed politely, "I will be going now."

She nodded once and waved her hand, allowing me to leave. I backed out of the office, closing the door and heading for the prison.

* * *

"The blonde pyromaniac? What do you want to see him for?" The ANBU guard asked suspiciously.

I kept my chin high and stared him straight in the eye. "I want to see if I can get some information out of him. He's in the Akatsuki, isn't he?"

"We have our interrogation corps for that."

I raised an eyebrow. "My methods of interrogation are different."

"How?" he challenged.

I smirked. "If I told you, I'd have to kill you."

I could practically feel his glare on me. I responded with a glare of my own. We held the glaring contest for a few more seconds before he grudgingly opened the door.

"Don't take too long," he grunted.

"Thank you," I replied, heading for the stairs.

Turns out there were only seven floors to the prison. Good 'cause I didn't want to climb that many stairs. Upon arriving on the bottommost floor, I cast a quick glance around. There was a prisoner in the cell to my left, but he just glanced up when I entered and turned back to the wall, not saying anything. Deidara was in the cell farthest from the stairs.

"I would have thought you'd gotten yourself out by now," I noted, walking over so I was standing on the other side of the bars.

Deidara scowled. "I would have," he muttered, "But they took my detonating clay away and put these chakra bracelets on me." He held up both arms. One bracelet on each arm.

"Let me see the bracelets," I demanded. He stuck both arms through the bars. I fingered one of the bracelets. It was one of those complicated ones that required a lot of work if it was to be broken. Luckily, I knew what kind they were and they were the same, which saves me the trouble of researching two different kinds.

I notice Deidara watching me as I examine the chakra bracelets. At first, I ignore him but he doesn't stop, so I finally look him in the eye (literally since his other eye is covered by his bang) and asked, "What?"

He blinked and smirked. "Nothing, hmm."

I eyed him suspiciously, but dropped the matter. "Right, Deidara. I want to strike a bargain with you."

He withdrew his arms, still smirking. "Go ahead."

"You tell me everything you know about me and my friends, and why you were looking for me. In return, I'll get you out of here."

He tapped his chin, contemplating it. "I agree as long as you get me out first."

"Why?"

"Because there are more people who know about you, and you would probably want to listen to them as well."

I scowled. "Fine."

The blonde stuck his hand through the bars. I grasped it and we shook, sealing the deal. Suddenly, I felt something wet on my hand.

"Deidara?"

"Hmm?"

"Why is your hand wet?"

He grinned and held out his hand, palm up. I stared. _His hand had a freakin' mouth on it!_ I reached out and poked it cautiously. It stuck its tongue out at me.

"Whoa," I whispered, jabbing at it with my index finger.

"Are you gonna stay here all day gawking at my hands, or are you going to tell me your plan for getting me out of here?"

"Sorry," I stopped poking his hand-mouth, "Anyway, your execution is scheduled for the day after tomorrow, so tomorrow, I'm going to come, break your bracelets, and get you out."

He raised an eyebrow. "Why not today, hmm?"

"Because I still need to figure out how to break these and come up with an escape plan. Fortunately, Mizukage-sama let me have the rest of today free, so I can get it done."

"When are you going to be here tomorrow?"

"Definitely not around lunch time. That's when most people wander in the streets. I don't want to risk injuring innocent civilians. Expect me at around dusk."

"I'll be ready, hmm," he promised, "Oh wait, I forgot to ask. What do you go by in this world?"

I narrowed my eyes. "Kozui."

He nods. A slightly awkward silence falls between us.

"Well, that's all I have to tell you," I got to my feet from where I had been sitting; "I'll see you tomorrow then."

"Wait, hmm."

I stopped in mid-step. "Yes?"

"Come closer, hmm. I have something to tell you." He beckoned to me with his hand.

Curious, I lean forward, wondering what he needed to tell me.

And my mind instantly shorted out when he pressed his lips against mine.

* * *

1. The tanto is a short sword that came into use during the Heian period (794-1185). Originated from Japan.

_**I have found my greatest weakness: writing romantic scenes. I'll give you a play-by-play of the hardships I faced.**_

_**Day 1**__**- I sat at my computer for half an hour, trying to figure out the best way to write to write that single sentence. At the end of the 30 minutes, I sigh and say, "I'll just…do this tomorrow."**_

_**Next day**__**- I sat at my computer for fifteen minutes, trying to think the best sentence. Moments of failure later, I finally go to my emo corner and cry.**_

_**Yesterday**__**- I am sitting at my computer again, my fingers poised over the keys. After a couple minutes, I go, "Screw this! Just write something and get this fucking embarrassing thing over with!"**_

_**So yeah, that's how it went. I still think it's terrible, but I'm posting it cuz I can't come up with anything better.**_

_**R &R!**_


	11. Plan Failure, I Choose You!

_**I wasn't really planning to write another bit in Arashi's POV until the other seven were recruited, but I decided to add it in as some comic relief.**_

_**There is a poll on my profile for a new story I'm planning. Please cast your vote!**_

* * *

~Arashi's POV~

"Chakra nature is what you can depend on when you're in a battle," Hanabi declared, her red hair swinging around her face as we walked to a village to get supplies.

"Wrong. You cannot solely depend on advantages in chakra nature," I stated flatly, my white cloak flapping around my ankles.

"Oh, please. I can beat you any time."

"You haven't done well so far."

"Shut up!"

I heeded her rather rude request and said nothing. After a long moment of silence, Hanabi said, "Talk to me."

I raised an eyebrow. "You told me to shut up," I deadpanned.

"Yeah, and now I'm telling you to talk," she retorted.

"Watch your tone," I warned, letting my temper flare slightly.

"Yeah, yeah," she said, "Hey, look!" She pointed down the slope of the cliff.

I followed her gaze to see a village being raided by bandits. As we watched, the bandits slaughtered the men, raped the women, and beat the children. I looked sideways at Hanabi.

"Ready?" I asked, leaves beginning to peel off my face.

She grinned, allowing her fists to burst into flames. "Of course. It's what we're supposed to do." With that, she dashed down the slope, red cloak flapping around her.

My leaves reformed into two large wings, and I flew down beside Hanabi. In the middle of my flight, I formed a hand sign. Pine needles immediately dropped from the pine trees nearby and hovered in midair.

Plant Release: Pine Needle Storm!

The needles flew forward, stabbing into the necks, faces, and eyes of the bandits. They howled in pain, clutching at their faces as blood ran down their cheeks. The ones that tried to fight against Hanabi weren't so lucky, either. She was using her Fire Fists technique and setting everything she touched on fire. Spontaneous combustion. What a great way to die.

I felt a change in the air dimension behind me. Whipping around, I thrust my arm out, letting a vine shoot out from the depths of my sleeve and wrap itself around the neck of the bandit, who was trying to sneak up on me.

He let out a strangled cry of surprise, hands scrabbling desperately at the vine strangling him. I used my left hand to form a sign (since my right was occupied with the vine).

Plant Release: Bloodthirsty Thorns!

Thorns materialized from the vine, tearing at the bandit's neck as he tried to claw it off. He screamed in pain and let out a choking sound as the thorns tore his throat up. He was dead within minutes.

I made the thorns retract and withdrew the vine. Hanabi was pretty much finished with her part, too. Just one more bandit, there goes the spontaneous combustion, and done.

"That's all the bandits, Arashi!" Hanabi counted.

"The houses are all destroyed though," I murmured, dismayed. I walked to a pile of logs and straws. "I'm not surprised. Built of logs and straw; it probably wouldn't even last through a windstorm."

"Umm…excuse me?" Hanabi and I turned to see the surviving villagers huddling together timidly, watching us with wide, frightened, and respectful eyes.

"Yes?" Hanabi asked gently. She can be really nice when she wants to. The arrogance earlier was just an act to catch people off guard.

"Thank you very much for saving us." The survivors all got down on their knees and bowed.

"Oh, it was no problem," I answered hurriedly, "We can't fix your houses though. I'm sorry for your losses as well."

Hanabi glanced at me. "Can't you use a jutsu or something to build some makeshift homes for them until they rebuild their old ones?"

I shook my head. "I don't have a jutsu for that."

"What about Flower Bud Shield?" Hanabi pressed.

I shook my head again. "That is not suitable."

"Perhaps I can help." A new voice came. Hanabi and I both looked in the direction of the voice. A figure wearing a brown cloak was walking towards us. Spiky silver hair peeked out from under the hood and golden eyes stared at us dully.

"Warame," I greeted him. He nodded to me and flashed a bored look at Hanabi, who was smirking.

"I can rebuild the houses," Warame repeated in a monotone.

"Go right ahead," I gestured around me, "Nobody's trying to stop you."

He blinked and went through a series of hand signs. Slapping his palm heavily on the ground, he said, "Earth Release: Structure Revival!"

Walls of earth started rising up from the ground. They formed closed squares with a sheet of earth closing the opening at the top. There was a small opening that should be acting as a door as well as makeshift windows dotting the sides of the earth houses.

"Is that enough?" Warame asked after the last sheet of earth had slipped into place.

Hanabi nodded, looking from the shocked villagers to the neat rows of houses. "I think so."

Warame straightened up, dusting his hands off. "Now that that's out of the way, I have a message from Shishou."

"Yes?" I asked.

"He says that there's no need to get supplies anymore. Denki forgot that there was an extra storage room filled with the necessities."

Hanabi groaned and face-palmed. "We were sent out here for nothing?" she cried.

"Hanabi," I said sternly, "Don't speak that way. We saved a village."

"Oh, right. Uh, sorry," Hanabi coughed awkwardly.

"Hanabi, as one of the Guardian Five, you shouldn't be complaining about this," Warame reprimanded.

Hanabi scratched her head embarrassedly. "Is that it?"

"Yes. I'll be seeing you two back at home." With that, Warame crumbled into a pile of pebbles and stones.

"Let's go, Bloody Tempest," Hanabi grinned.

I rolled my eyes at her use of my, uh, nickname. (It's a long story. I'll tell you some other time.) I started disintegrating into a pile of leaves again as Hanabi turned into a tongue of flame, swirling and hissing before vanishing into thin air.

~0~

~Kozui's POV~

I stomped into the library and plopped myself down in a chair after getting the book on chakra seals. The librarian cast a nervous glance at me and left me well alone, something I appreciated seeing as I was RAVING MAD AT THE MOMENT! Oh, you want to know what happened after that…thing? Well, here you go.

[Insert scene of Kozui and Deidara both screaming their heads off. Kozui is firing water arrow after water arrow through the bars, shouting death threats. Deidara is dodging the attacks, shouting…stuff that cannot be discerned between his 'hmm's. And of course, let's not forget the third person, who is most likely thinking "DAFUQ" while watching the two.]

So yeah, that's what happened. I only stopped firing the arrows when my chakra got dangerously low, otherwise I would still be trying to drill holes in the blonde right now.

Still muttering some light curses, I flipped through the pages until a picture caught my attention. Going back a couple pages, my eyes fell on a labeled drawing of the chakra bracelets Deidara had around his wrists. Casting a quick glance at my surroundings, I started reading.

"While these chakra bracelets are considered A-ranked, they are actually very easy to take off," I whispered the text out loud, "The chakra bracelet adopts the nature of the chakra it absorbs. For example, if the wearer has fire nature, then the chakra becomes fire nature as well and is susceptible to water." I reached into my pouch and pulled out a bingo book. Flipping through it as quickly as I could, I stopped when I reached Deidara's profile. Hopefully, this would work out.

I scanned the page. Yeah, yeah; from Iwagakure, S-ranked missing-nin, good with explosives, earth nature. Yes! Silently thanking Kami for the luck, I put the bingo book back in my pouch and returned the library book to its shelf.

Now, I had to work on the escape plan…

~0~

~Deidara's POV~

The next morning, I was still feeling exhausted. Damn, that girl had good aim! It took me all of my energy to dodge her arrows. On top of that, there were still the chakra bracelets, keeping my chakra under lock and key. Kozui overreacted, too! It was just a kiss! (Dei-kun, you idiot! To her, you're pretty much a complete stranger! How would you feel if someone you barely knew kissed you right on the lips? XD)

Footsteps interrupted the thoughts racing through my head, and I looked up to see two ANBU guards walking towards my cell, completely disregarding Emo King (you know, the only other prisoner on this floor.).

"What did you and Kozui talk about yesterday?" ANBU Number One asked, not bothering with formalities.

"None of your business, hmm," I retorted.

Fury radiated off the ANBU members. "You aren't in much of a position to argue, you know," ANBU Number Two said.

I rolled my eyes. "Oh, please, hmm. You won't be able to force anything out of me."

ANBU Number One drew his katana and dug the tip into my shoulder. I didn't make a sound. Thank Kami for my high pain tolerance.

"Not so great without your bombs, huh?" he asked, pushing the blade in deeper.

"Oh, don't worry, hmm," I chuckled, "When I get out of here, you'll be the first ones I'll bomb."

"You're not getting out of here," ANBU Number Two said shortly.

"Oh, I am," I promised, still chuckling.

"He is." All of our heads turned to Emo Guy, who was still crouched in his corner, "That girl is helping him."

I stared in shock. "What?" I shouted angrily.

The two ANBU guards turned and dashed up the stairs. Oh, shit.

"You!" I snarled, gripping the bars to my cell and glaring at Emo Guy, "Why did you tell them?"

"It is not fair for the rest of us to suffer when you get to escape," he answered monotonously.

I let out another growl of frustration. I wasn't worried about me, but rather Kozui. If those ANBU Black Ops caught her, she would be killed along with me! I wanted to contact her, warn her of this, but my chakra was sealed. I was useless.

Leaning against the wall, I closed my eyes and tried to come up with a plan, but once again, footsteps interrupted my thinking. I opened my eyes to see Kozui running towards me, forming hand signs.

"We have to get out of here. Now," I told her as a Kozui-clone appeared and began to pick the lock to my cell with a water arrow.

"I know," the real Kozui panted, grabbing hold of my wrists, "I heard everything."

"So what's the plan, hmm?" I asked as the clone unlocked the cell.

"We'll ride on Umiko," Kozui answered, setting to work on the chakra bracelets, "Storm Release: Bolt Flash!" The bracelets shattered at the sudden charge of lightning. I exited the cell, rubbing my wrists as Kozui performed a summoning jutsu.

"Who's Umiko?" I asked.

"**I am.**" A water horse appeared from the smoke, "**What's the matter, Kozui-chan?**"

Before Kozui could answer, there was a _woosh _and water began to flow into the prison. Rising quickly, it started to soak our clothes.

"They're flooding the prison!" Kozui cried, "Umiko-chan, I need you to carry us out of Kirigakure."

Umiko nodded her head. "**The prison will be flooded before we can make it out though.**"

"As long as we get out, hmm!" I said, the water level at my chest and rising. Kozui was already struggling on her toes.

"**Get on.**" Kozui quickly got onto Umiko's back. I mounted after her.

And the water completely engulfed us.

Blinking underwater, I noticed Kozui gesturing towards her waist. Slightly hesitantly, I wrapped my arms around her. She hugged Umiko's neck, and the water horse started moving.

I think this was the longest I've ever had to hold my breath for (other than the time Sasori-no-Danna stuck me in a chamber with poison gas for making him wait). Trust me, it's not fun. Well, Kozui and I did manage to take a quick breath on the fourth floor, so we didn't suffocate. But I was still happy when we finally burst out of the prison, scaring the jounins who were trying to drown us.

"Go, go, go!" Kozui shouted to Umiko, and the water horse took off down the street. Civilians screamed and dove out of the way as the summoning raced past.

"Where are we heading, hmm?" I called above the startled shouts.

"Towards the mainland," Kozui answered as a kunai came out of nowhere, missing us by millimeters. Instead, it embedded itself in Umiko, who didn't react whatsoever. Kozui yanked the weapon out and tossed it aside, patting Umiko.

"You okay?" she called to the horse.

"**Yeah, why wouldn't I be?**" Umiko asked just as another kunai flew past. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. Umiko's made of water; of course she wouldn't be affected by the kunai!

"Dei, grab onto Umiko's neck!" Kozui ordered, forming hand signs.

I obliged. "What are you going to do, hmm?"

"I'm gonna take care of our pursuers," she declared, readying a water arrow on a water bow.

With a twang of the bowstring, her arrow knocked a kunai out of midair. I was impressed. I mean, I knew she was good, but not _that _good!

She drew again, this time with two arrows. Pulling the string back as far as possible, Kozui took careful aim before releasing the arrows. One arrow deflected two shurikens while the second embedded itself in an ANBU member on the roof.

"Nice shot, hmm, Kozui!" I cheered her on.

I spoke too early. No sooner had I finished my sentence did an arrow come whizzing in our direction and hit Kozui straight in the chest. She jolted backwards with a sharp gasp of surprise and pain. Blood dripped from her mouth and stained her shirt.

"**Kozui!**" Umiko and I shouted together.

"Umiko, don't slow down, hmm!" I commanded. Umiko sped up as I wrapped one arm around Kozui's waist to support her and gripped Umiko's mane with the other.

"No…Dei…not…that way," Kozui managed to get out, "Trap…"

"Then which way should we go, hmm?" I asked. Too late. Kozui was already unconscious.

"Damn," I muttered quietly, "Hang on, Kozui. We'll get outta here." _That way can't be that bad._ I thought. "Keep going straight, Umiko!"

"**But…**" Umiko protested, hesitating and allowing our pursuers to begin closing the distance.

"Just go, hmm!"

Umiko dashed ahead, clearing a path through the civilians. But about halfway down the street, kunais flew at us from every direction. There was no way to avoid them all. I instinctively curled myself around Kozui, shielding her from the weapons flying at us. The kunais dug into my back and stabbed at my arms. Blackness pressed in on my sight, but I tried forced it back. I still had to get us out of here.

With unfocused vision, I saw a group of ANBU closing in. In slow motion, they raised their swords and swung it down. Suddenly, a huge wall of water sprung up, and that was the last thing I saw before I blacked out.

* * *

**_Some things you might want to remember:_**

**_Guardian Five - A group of five shinobi who train under one master. Each ninja specializes in one chakra type. Dedicated to protecting villages from bandits and keeping the peace in Yukigakure._**

**_Shishou - The master of the Guardian Five._**

**_Arashi - (Wind) One of the Guardian Five. Shows no mercy to those who she believes does not deserve it. Other than that, she is respectful to those who earn her respect and is willing to help anyone she can. Identified by a white cloak._**

**_Hanabi - (Fire) Despite her acts of arrogance, she is actually kind to those in need. When angered, she will remain angry for a long time, and she loves to challenge Arashi. She believes that a battle's outcome is determined by the chakra natures of the opposing teams. Identified by a red cloak._**

**_Warame - (Earth) Has about as much emotion as a rock. Steel defenses, completely impenetrable. What he lacks in intelligence, he makes up in strength. Identified by a brown cloak._**

**_Denki - (?) Apparently forgetful, based on Warame's message._**

**_? - (?) ?_**

_**No really long author's note for this chapter XP Just one word: REVIEW!**_


	12. IMPORTANT!

_**Attention, all!**_

_**Due to the ridiculously large amount of schoolwork/homework I have and my desire to do well in my classes, I will NOT be updating my stories again until June. I will still be writing when I have free time, but I won't be uploading any chapters until school lets out.**_

_**Sorry to disappoint, but if I don't do well in school, I may never update again. It's better this way, trust me.**_

_**Thanks! ~Itachi-21**_


	13. On the Move Again

_**Due to a deal I made with one of my friends who is a fan of this story, I must now update one chapter of this story XD**_

_**I have also come up with a plan for my fanfiction. During the school year, I'm mostly gonna be planning my stories with only a few updates now and then. Over the summer is when I'm going to update what I've written. I hope this works out.**_

* * *

~Kozui's POV~

I slowly opened my eyes, aware of a throbbing pain in my chest. Turning my head, I saw that I was sitting against a tree in an unrecognizable forest. Deidara was next to me. His black and red cloak was missing, and he was practically covered in bandages underneath his clothes. Jesus Christ, how did he end up like that? Before I passed out, he was totally fine!

…He didn't listen to my warning, did he?

Where the hell were we anyway? We definitely aren't in Kirigakure since we aren't chained to walls.

"Emma!" Sendy said, walking towards me.

"Sendy?" I stared. Then again, I shouldn't be surprised since Deidara did mention that he was with Sendy as well as a bunch of other people. Akatsuki, right?

"Call me Kemuri while we're stuck in this dimension," she corrected, squatting down next to me.

"Then you can call me Kozui," I said, "What happened?"

"Well, after you fainted, Deidara told Umiko to keep going through the trap…"

"I'm not surprised," I grumbled.

"…so Umiko did and Deidara ended up getting stabbed all over with kunais. You guys are lucky Kisame used a Water Jutsu to chase the ANBU away. Otherwise, the two of you would be trapped in Kiri right now."

I blinked. "Who's Kisame?"

"He's a really tall shark-man with a sword that looks like an ironing board."

"…"

"…"

"Seriously, who is he?"

Kemuri sighed. "Hold on," she said before walking back the way she came from.

Deidara shifted from his place beside me. "Ow, hmm," he groaned, opening his eye and glancing at me, "Hey, Kozui."

I glared at him. "What the hell were you thinking you idiot," I hissed, "I told you there was a trap but you still had Umiko run straight into it. Do you have a death wish or something?"

He raised his hands defensively. "Hey, I didn't know any other way out of Kiri, hmm."

"Umiko does," I retorted, wincing a little as my chest gave another painful throb. Damn those Kirigakure archers.

He sighed resignedly. "Alright, hmm. I'm sorry; it was my fault. Next time, I'll listen to you," he apologized.

"Apologies aren't going to change the past. It's bad enough that you were injured and now look like a mummy." I gestured at his bandages. "What if you had been killed?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Is that _concern _I hear, hmm?" he teased.

"I am not worried!" I answered hotly, "And stop changing the subject!"

"You are worried, hmm!"

"I am not!" I was seething, "You are so infuriating. First, you go and invade my personal space. Then, you don't listen to my warning and we barely escape Kiri with our lives, and now, you…you…you're just being plain aggravating! I have a headache thanks to aggravatingness, and you just sit there grinning like a drunken idiot…mmphf!"

My rant was halted as once again, the blonde idiot decided to invade my personal bubble and kiss me. I tried to push him off, already planning his slow and painful death, but he wouldn't budge.

"Brat, what the hell are you doing?" A new voice made Deidara break the kiss and look around. A redhead was watching us with bored eyes. Next to him were Kemuri, a blue-haired man, a blue-haired woman, and a man with orange hair and piercings.

"Hey, Danna, hmm," Deidara said, completely oblivious to the death glares Kemuri and the blue-haired woman were giving him.

"We do not need you kissing Kozui before she regains her memories. You'll confuse her, brat," the redhead said.

Deidara laughed. "More like anger her, Sasori-no-Danna."

"That's enough," the pierced guy interrupted, "Kozui, my name is Pein. I am the leader of Akatsuki. This is Konan, and this is Kisame. The redhead is Sasori."

"Oh, okay," I said, relieved, "I was confused as to whether his name was Sasori or Danna."

Sasori looked at me. "Why would I be named Danna?"

I shrugged. "You never know what might happen."

Sasori gave another look but decided to drop the subject. Konan stepped forward, kneeling next to me.

"How do you feel?" she asked softly.

"Can I kill him?" I asked, pointing at Deidara. He pouted.

"Unfortunately, no," Konan replied with a ghost of a smile on her face. "How does your wound feel?"

"Just the occasional throb." I liked Konan. She had a motherly feel to her, something I haven't encountered since I entered this world.

"Then we should get moving," Pein said, "Kirigakure patrols are getting dangerously close to our camp, and I want to leave before they find us."

"Alright, hmm." Deidara jumped up despite his wounds, "Where's my cloak?"

At that moment, a tall, masked man stomped into the clearing, brandishing an Akatsuki cloak. "Deidara, do you know how much it cost to make these cloaks? Twenty-five dollars! And here you go ruining yours!" he hollered.

"Kakuzu, calm down. We can't have one of your money fits right now," Pein deadpanned.

"Where are we headed next, Leader?" Kisame asked, grinning.

"We're doubling back and heading for Iwagakure," Pein informed, "And then we'll go to Suna for the Ichibi. After the Ichibi is captured and sealed, we'll infiltrate Takigakure and travel to Kumogakure."

"Just those villages?" Sasori questioned, "Why not the others?"

"Zetsu has heard rumors of kunoichis appearing in Iwa, Suna, and Kumo, and we have…an obstacle to deal with in Taki," Pein explained, "If we don't find anything in those villages, then I will have Zetsu track Olivia, Mimi, and Tia down. We already know that Lindsay, or Arashi, is waiting for us in Yukigakure."

As soon as Pein finished his explanation, a screech was heard from above. Everyone looked up to see a hawk dive at Kemuri, who screamed and covered her head. The hawk landed on her shoulder, a roll of paper in its beak. Kemuri peeked out at the hawk and took the paper, unrolling it to read its contents. "It's from Arashi!" she shouted.

"What happened?" Esder ran out, waving her katana in front of her.

"Kemuri is scared of a hawk," Sasori explained.

"I thought it was going to attack me!" Kemuri said defensively. By now, all Akatsuki members had gathered around us, drawn by Kemuri's scream.

"What does the paper say?" Pein asked.

Kemuri looked at the paper. "All it says is 'Well?'"

"Well what?" Konan asked.

"Just well. She's asking about our progress so far."

"How do you know, hmm?"

Kemuri flashed Deidara a look. "I've been friends with her since middle school. I think I can understand her pretty well."

"Can we just go already?" Sasori asked with a hint of impatience, "I'm tired of waiting."

* * *

_**I know. This chapter wasn't so exciting, and I apologize. I haven't started planning my stories until a couple weeks ago. I wrote this thing in one day so it's not very good. Sorry.**_


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